The Return of the Heir
by elle6778
Summary: Konoha is on its way to recovery with Kakashi at the helm. Sakura thinks that she's getting back on track with her life. Until Itachi walks back into Konoha, a free man. One secret had once torn them apart. What about the other? Sequel to The Lost One.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

Title: The Return of the Heir

Author: elle6778  
Rating: T/PG-13  
Genre: Adventure/Romance

Summary: Konoha is on its way to recovery with Kakashi at the helm. And Sakura thinks that she is finally progressing with her life. Until Itachi walks back into Konoha, a free man. One secret had once torn them apart. But what about the other?

50-shinobi Theme No 29: Leap of Faith

A/N: Sequel to The Lost One. Enjoy!

* * *

**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 1**

It began with a single conversation with Naruto.

And then, the next thing Sakura knew, she had enrolled herself and her blond friend for the next ANBU examination. Countless wounds, and five near-fatal blows later, Sakura had found herself and a nearly mummified Naruto in a hospital. Soon afterwards, Kakashi had paid them a visit and announced rather proudly that the two of them had made it into ANBU.

Now she wondered why she even bothered.

Sakura grimaced as she ran under a bridge, trying hard to stay within the shadows, while her mind kept reminding her why she was in this predicament now. Really, she had only herself to blame for this.

After passing her exams one year ago, she had been assigned a permanent post as the ANBU's medical team, which was exactly what she had wanted. She had been ecstatic that she was able to remain working within Konoha for the majority of her duties. However, the continuing conflict between Konoha and several minor countries meant that the shinobi ranks had been reduced, which resulted in her reassignment to the field a few months ago.

The shock of being in the field was almost too much but she had gotten used to it since. Not that she had much of a choice. Konoha needed all the shinobi they could spare, after all.

That was how she found herself on this mission. She had been sent to provide medical cover to a new ANBU squad, whose task was to trail and rescue two surviving members of a certain clan who had been kidnapped by Lightning Country nins. The aim was simple, rescue these two children gifted with a unique bloodline limit and assimilate them into the Konoha forces.

It had gone fairly well until their presence was detected by one of the shinobi guarding the children, and then all hell broke loose. Outnumbered and taken by surprise, they had been hard-pressed to hold their ground, especially when two backup Lightning teams arrived. In the end, Sakura was the only surviving member of the ANBU squad.

She had done only sensible thing then.

She ran.

Panting heavily, Sakura pulled off her black nondescript hat and wiped the sweat off her brow as she continued to streak along the riverbank. The hat was soon jammed back onto her head to hide her pink-hair from view. She could still sense the presence of the Lightning shinobi somewhere behind her, so she could not slow down. She was far too outnumbered to even consider fighting.

Still, she could not carry on this way.

Spotting the outline of what looked like a forest in the distance, Sakura made a beeline for it. The moment she reached it, she felt more in at ease. The forest terrain was not new to her, after all, even though this was Tea Country.

She continued to distance herself from her attackers, but this time above ground. Soon, much to her relief, their chakra signatures gradually dissipated.

Weary from the battle and the run, she cloaked her chakra and rested on a wide tree limb. She had to stop, she decided. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to rest. She needed it to recharge.

It was not long afterwards that a sense of… something… pricked at her.

She froze in position. Immediately on edge, she tensed straight into battle mode and scanned her surroundings quickly.

What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

Itachi…

Her heart gave an odd lurch and her breath left her in a rush. It had been so long since she had last laid eyes on those Uchiha features that she could only stare at him.

She had not seen him for what? Five years? He looked different now. His hair was long once again, falling to partially cover his dark eyes, which was devoid of the Sharingan at the moment. He must have let it grow after they had parted ways all those years ago.

And then the anger began to bubble within her. So many things had happened because of the man standing there, and whilst she could overlook and forgive most of them, there was one that she simply could not accept. She recalled what his actions in the past had ultimately led to, and her temper began to boil. The urge to jump down from the tree to attack him, to physically pound him into the ground, was almost overwhelming. Her body, strung taut with emotion, was practically trembling with rage.

The next moment, her ANBU training kicked in, reminding her to tamp down her emotions, to push them to the back. This was no time to dredge up her personal issues with Itachi. The position she was in was potentially dangerous.

She inhaled deeply and forced herself to study him and the situation impassively, even though the perspiration dampening the inside of her mask told her that she was anything but impassive.

Covered in a black, unmarked cloak, Uchiha Itachi stood on the ground, staring up at her. He did not move, appearing outwardly relaxed, but she knew that he was able and could attack at any moment. She also knew that despite her brief rest, she did not have enough chakra reserves to last even minutes in a battle with him. He was in a league of his own when it came to such things.

Her other option was to run, and once again, that seemed like the best course of action. Would he chase her when she ran? She swept her eyes over her surroundings again, this time attempting to find safe route out of her predicament.

When her eyes landed back on the missing-nin, she found that he still had not moved. Was he waiting for her to initiate something? Did he recall how they had parted? What was she to him now? Just a shadow in his past? An enemy?

No, she would not think of him in those terms. It was too personal. He was just Uchiha Itachi, a wanted S-class missing nin.

Slowly, she straightened up from her reclining position until she was standing on the tree limb, her entire body fully geared for battle. She had to be prepared for anything.

Still, he did not react.

She shifted forward and allowed herself to drop to the ground gently, her knees bent slightly to absorb the impact and to allow her a better chance of shifting directions.

And yet, he only continued to stare silently at her.

For an indeterminate span of time, both of them stood facing each other across the twenty feet which separated them. She could not help but wonder if she should simply walk away, but something stilled her. Something kept her standing there, staring at those Uchiha features.

"Uchiha…" she breathed out before she could stop herself, her voice was barely audible.

But he had heard her, and inclined his head in acknowledgement. "ANBU-san," he returned.

Her breath stuck in her throat, half in panic, half in relief.

ANBU-san… He'd called her ANBU-san. It sounded as if he had not recognized her. There was a burst of something inside her, something which veered dangerously close to hysteria. How could he not have recognized her? Especially considering just how sharp his senses were. What if this was just his way of messing with her head?

No, she had to remain calm.

She knew what she had to do. The protocol was clear. If she was to find herself in a situation where she knew she could not win, she was to retreat and report the incident. Especially when it involved an S-class missing nin.

She swallowed hard as she made up her mind to do exactly that. Chances were, they would never meet again. Her hands clenched into fists at the very thought. It was best that way, so that she did not have to be reminded of the part he had played in everything. Besides, she stood no chance against him, even though she wanted him to pay for what he had done.

So, she spun around away from him, briefly catching a glimpse of his look of surprise, before she sped off.

It was only when she had travelled for miles that it struck her that he did not give chase.

000

* * *

000

Dawn broke through the clouds, casting ethereal rays upon the sprawling landscape beyond. Aside from the occasional huts dotting the land, the valley was unspoilt by human occupation. It was a view which Uchiha Itachi beheld frequently. After all, he had been residing in this secluded part of the world for a while now, having relocated after the unexpected encounter with a certain lone feline-masked Konoha ANBU last year.

On hindsight, he should have shifted elsewhere by now. For if he had done so in a timely manner, he would not be standing there with four masked Konoha ANBU facing him.

It was interesting that one of them was the lone ANBU from last year with the feline mask. Clearly, this kunoichi had reported his existence to Konoha since their last encounter and it had taken them the last one year to locate him.

As his gaze rested on her, it struck him once again that her stature seemed familiar, but he doubted that the ANBU standing in front of him was Sakura. From what he knew of said kunoichi, she was more the healing type than the killing type. Moreover, Sakura was most likely dead. His searches all those years ago had yielded no results, after all. The search process had been particularly slow since he had a certain ability of his tampered with several years ago, but he had scoured both Fire Country and Spring Country to no avail.

Itachi grimaced inwardly. It irked him that he no longer possessed the ability to tell the difference between one chakra signature and another. But it was a price he had paid for his carelessness. For letting his guard down.

"Uchiha Itachi," a male ANBU acknowledged, his posture suggesting that he was the leader of this particular team.

At those words, Itachi simply raised a brow.

The ANBU squad leader took a step forward. "You are supposed to be dead."

"That is clearly not the case," he replied smoothly.

"How is this possible?"

Was Konoha's shinobi truly so incompetent? "One year. You have not discovered the answer in that span of time?"

"One year?" the leader echoed, sounding mildly puzzled. "I'm not sure what year you're referring to, Uchiha."

Itachi slid his eyes towards the ANBU from the year before, noticing the very slight stiffening of her form. So, she had not reported sighting him, even though she had the knowledge of his identity then. Why had she broken protocol? Had she been in Tea Country last year without leave, and thus her reluctance to disclose his existence to Konoha?

This was… interesting.

Itachi decided not to reveal her. For now. "Perhaps I'm mistaken then," he murmured.

The ANBU studied him silently for a moment, and then spoke again. "I assume you know the procedure, Uchiha."

"Do I?"

"Will you surrender?" the ANBU asked, sounding somewhat disinterested.

"I do not wish to fight, ANBU-san," Itachi said instead. "Allow us to part ways without violence."

"That is not possible. You are wanted shinobi."

Itachi nodded once. "Then, let us begin."

The two ANBU members streaked forward, past their stationary leader, while said leader crouched down with a scroll and brush. The feline-masked ANBU stood back, watching, but her posture betrayed her battle-readiness. Itachi's eyes narrowed as the implication of her stance sank in. It was one which was usually adopted by the medic of the squad. Was it simply a coincidence?

With a flare of bright energy, several large inky tigers burst from the scroll, bypassing the two ANBU, heading straight for him. Attention shifted, Itachi sidestepped, and then swiveled around with a kick which took down two of the tigers. The remaining three came at him again, and this time, he disposed of them with a water jutsu.

The black ink from the tigers had barely melted into the ground when the two male ANBU attacked with a combination jutsu. Itachi quickly disabled the wind-fire jutsu with a water barrier, and then without pause, created two clones of himself. His clones darted forward, engaging the two ANBU in a close-quarter battle.

The ANBU operatives were good, but not good enough. Before long, the clones managed to knock off the masks and trap the two ANBU into a genjutsu. They immediately fell unconscious, and Itachi directed his clones to deactivate the bloodline limit before he dismissed them. His loss of eyesight in the past had cautioned him to use the skill sparingly, even though he doubted that it would be the same this time. After all, he no longer had the same Mangekyou Sharingan as before.

A black ink horse streaked towards him, carrying a similarly ink-based rider. Before Itachi knew it, the blade of a black katana slashed past his ear. The hit was close and Itachi knew that this ANBU, the leader, was not unskilled. However, another water jutsu was all it took to melt away the ink.

Birds appeared out of the ANBU leader's scroll, circling him threateningly in the attempt to distract his focus. Itachi flipped through a series of seals, and his crows exploded into existence. It did not take long for the crows to send the birds splattering down into small puddles of black ink. The battle was growing somewhat tedious, Itachi mused.

"Why are you not attacking?" the squad leader asked flatly.

"I do not wish to fight." He sidestepped a rain of ink kunai. "It is pointless."

The squad leader simply nodded, but said nothing else. Instead, another scroll made an appearance, and he bit into his thumb, smearing blood onto it before unfurling it. This time, the tiger which emerged from it was blood red.

It charged at him. Instinctively, Itachi knew that this opponent would not be so easy to defeat. He could not consciously sense the strength of its chakra, but the light humming sensation against his skin was enough of a warning. His intuition was proven correct when his kunai went through the red tiger without harming the creature.

The tiger released an angry snarl, and launched towards him again, forcing Itachi to perform a substitution jutsu to avoid the hit.

It seemed that it was time for him to shift into a more aggressive stance, he decided, his fingers forming a specific series of seals.

"Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!"

The technique erupted with balls of fire streaking towards the tiger, which danced around them in avoidance, snarling as it did so. It was enough of a distraction to give Itachi an opening towards his true target; the ANBU squad leader.

In a mere blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them.

The ANBU squad leader twisted out of reach as Itachi delivered a kick, and then narrowly missed being hit by the retaliating punch. Those moves had been enough to inform Itachi that this ANBU was not comfortable with close-quarter combat, even though he could probably hold his own against an average shinobi. His main choice of techniques limited him to long-range battles.

They exchanged hits, with the ANBU clearly attempting to put some distance between them. Having no intention of allowing him to do so, Itachi sought an opening and soon found one. Without hesitation, he reached out and knocked the mask off the ANBU's head, revealing a pale face and dark eyes, framed by short black hair.

The ANBU looked shocked; his eyes widened.

And Itachi activated his Sharingan.

He heard a gasp from the female member of the squad, but he kept his eyes on this opponent until the pale ANBU's eyes fluttered shut, and he fell unconscious to the ground like his two other comrades. The Sharingan was dismissed soon after and not far away, the blood-red tiger exploded into nothingness.

Only then did Itachi turned his attention to the remaining member of the team. By the time his eyes landed on her, she was already halfway across the mountain, running with chakra-fuelled feet, no doubt. It was reminiscent of the last time they had met. She had taken to running as well, then. This, coupled with the fact that she had not reported him, intrigued him. It made him suspicious of her identity. And now, he had questions for her.

He followed as she rolled down to the valley, in the attempt to escape him. Without pause, he formed the required hand seals for a jutsu, which resulted in a rush of water rushing towards her in the form of spinning drills.

Rolling deftly to her feet, the female ANBU somersaulted upwards. To Itachi's surprise, she headed straight for the water drills. The foolish kunoichi should know better, he thought reprovingly, unless she had a counterattack planned.

And then he watched intently as she bounced off the water drill using her chakra-enhanced feet, launching herself safely out of the way.

Rather impressive, Itachi thought mildly. Clearly, this ANBU operative was not a typical kunoichi.

Still, it was not good enough. Another set of seals followed and the water drills reformed into long writhing ropes which sped toward the kunoichi. She ran in a zigzagging pattern, attempting to avoid them, but he made sure that there were too many for her to handle.

Before long, the bands of water curled around her, securing her to a nearby boulder. A hiss of outrage escaped her as she struggled to free herself, but that was all she uttered. Come to think of it, she did not seem very talkative at all. It had been the same the last time they had encountered each other. Now, he wondered if it was deliberate.

With the kunoichi immobilized, he stepped towards her, stopping only when they were an arm's length apart.

"You did not report my existence," he intoned evenly. "Why?"

The water jutsu held her securely against a boulder, but Itachi could see it weakening as she pushed against the water bands with her chakra-enhanced katana. It would not hold for long, he realized.

"You let them all live," she returned harshly. "Why?"

Her words were muffled by the mask. That, and the sound of rushing water made it difficult for him to distinguish her voice. But he could almost grasp a small touch of familiarity in the lilt of the words, or perhaps he was simply being wishful.

"You desire their deaths?" he asked, raising a brow.

She stared mutely at him through the mask. A mask he wished was gone so that he could ascertain her identity. Perhaps part of him wondered if she could be _her_, however ridiculous the notion was. She was not the ANBU type, after all. Then again, she had taken the stance of a medic earlier, something which could point to her being Sakura.

Before he could continue his thoughts along that line, a surge of chakra snapped his attention to her hands.

His eyes widened when he saw the glow spreading from her hands to surround her body entirely, and he immediately leapt backwards away from the threat. The brightness surrounding her was intensifying as whatever jutsu she was performing took hold.

He grasped her chin and activated his Sharingan, locking his eyes onto hers. She immediately froze, the jutsu dying out without her conscious direction. But he had no intention of knocking her out the way he had done to her comrades. It defeated the purpose of securing her like this.

The urge to put a face to this feline-masked ANBU struck him, and he reached for her mask.

"No," she ground out in a barely audible voice, her hand reaching for her kunai pouch.

The second his fingers made contact with her mask, she moved. She moved fast enough that even Itachi was surprised when the kunai sliced through flesh.

Not his, but hers.

Stunned by her action, he did not move for a second. Then, hand dropping to his side, he took a step back to see that she had embedded the kunai deep in her own abdomen. Confusion, and something else, coursed through him as he watched her breath harshly, doubling over in obvious pain.

"Why?" He found himself asking.

And then there was a puff of smoke and the ANBU before him disappeared into thin air.

Itachi stood still, as still as his surroundings, as he took in the implications of what had just happened with no small amount of surprise.

It was a bunshin. He had been fighting a bunshin.

And all that time, he had not realized it was a bunshin at all.

000

* * *

000

Nara Shikamaru sighed as he glanced out of the window of the Hokage's office, feeling rather wistful that he was stuck in the building instead being of outside, under the clouds. And it was such a beautiful day for cloud-watching too.

Well, as much as he wished to be anywhere but here, he held the post of the advisor to their newest, laziest Hokage, so he had no choice but to be here, listening to all manners of reports, complaints and meetings. Sometimes, he wondered if Hatake Kakashi was even awake half of those times. It was kind of hard to tell with that masked face, especially when the top half was covered by all that silver hair and the slanted hitai-ate.

He straightened slightly when a series of taps sounded on the door. Without looking up, the Hokage called out for the visitor to enter. The door opened to reveal the tall figure of Morino Ibiki, who stepped in, closing the door behind him. He looked grim, but then again, that was how he usually looked.

Without preamble, Ibiki dropped a report on the Hokage's desk and announced, "Uchiha Itachi is alive."

Shikamaru's brows furrowed as he absorbed the new information. Not far from him, Morino Ibiki was settling himself against a wall, arms crossed as he waited for the news to sink in. And Kakashi finally looked up from the book he had hidden behind a large report, his single visible eye sharpening with interest.

"Someone has seen him?" Kakashi asked mildly.

Ibiki's expression tightened. "Yes."

"All this time, he has been alive and no one knew?" Kakashi asked in a harder tone, a frown marring his forehead. "It's been what? Eight? Nine years since his battle with Sasuke?"

"Aa, around that time," Ibiki agreed. "If it's not for this one chance encounter, we would not be any wiser."

"Who saw him?" Kakashi asked, leaning forward to snatch the report from the desk.

"Sai's squad. They fought, but the Uchiha got away."

Kakashi frowned, looking concerned. "They are unharmed?"

Ibiki nodded once. "No major injuries. Sakura cleared them."

"Hm... Sakura was there. Aa, I remember assigning her to this one," Kakashi murmured as he scanned the report.

Shikamaru glanced out of the window, thinking of what it could mean. "So he left them alive."

"_Left_ them alive, Shikamaru?" Ibiki asked.

"He could dispose of them if he wanted to."

Kakashi smirked. "Not that easily."

"No. Not easily, but it was possible if he had wanted to." Ibiki pointed at the report. "Read further into the report. Sai seems to think the Uchiha did not want to fight."

Lowering the report, Kakashi drummed his fingers thoughtfully. "This is… interesting, especially in light of what we've found in Danzou's possessions."

"How so?"

"His skills are unparalleled. And now that Akatsuki is all but gone…" Kakashi trailed off thoughtfully.

"So, what do we do now, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki asked.

Shikamaru was not surprised when their silver-haired leader tossed the report at him. Catching it, he waited with resignation for the words he knew would come. Kakashi was a master at delegation, that was for sure.

"What are you waiting for, Nara? Start strategizing."

And Shikamaru shook his head inwardly. How troublesome.

000

* * *

000

The light breeze blew Itachi's hair sideways, momentarily obscuring his vision and yet, he did nothing to brush it back. Idly, he mused over how a little thing like that could be enough to decide the outcome of a battle. All that was needed was one moment of distraction, one moment of weakness and then everything would be over.

He was not concerned about such a thing at that moment, for he knew that the man beside him had no intention of fighting him. What interested him, however, was the outcome of this meeting.

He had been on one of his supply trips to the nearby village when he saw the message tacked on the notice board of the village. Had anyone else chose to read it, they would find nothing untoward, only an uninteresting notice about a wedding. However, Itachi had not missed the underlying coded message. And what was more peculiar had been the fact that it was a code used only by the Sandaime to communicate with a particular Uchiha ANBU captain.

The content of the message had forced him into a few obligatory hours of contemplation, for it was odd that the Shichidaime of Konoha wished to see him under neutral terms. He had finally agreed to meet to assuage his curiosity. Only to find himself in the unusual position of being stunned into silence when the reason for the meeting became clear.

"What do you say, Uchiha?"

What would he say, indeed, Itachi mused.

It had occurred to him that this might just be a ruse to lure him back to Konoha for execution. However, his Sharingan did not lie, and had told him that the man beside him was being truthful about his motives. The pardon and the reinstatement of his status did not interest him. He was not afraid of being hunted down. As it was, the ANBU squads had not been able to capture him for years, and such a thing was unlikely to change in the future. So truly, he had no reason to accept the offer, which involved a complete disruption to his current life.

"It is not a simple request," he finally said in his usual quiet tones.

"I've explained the reasoning behind it." Hatake Kakashi's voice was light. "The massacre and everything that had happened before will be wiped off your records if you'd accept. That's not difficult to do, since there were extenuating circumstances behind it. As for this little assignment, it should not take someone of your caliber long to solve the issue. Besides, this gives you the opportunity to return to Konoha for good. You're twenty-eight, twenty-nine? Surely you do not intend to live out the rest of your life as a wandering missing-nin."

"There is nothing wrong with that."

"Akatsuki is gone, and that part of your life is over. What are you going to do next, Uchiha? How long would it be before you grow tired of wandering?" the Copy-Nin asked pointedly.

Itachi smirked at his obvious attempt to persuade him to accept. Surely he knew that he would only accept if it benefited him. In fact, right at that moment, he could only think of one thing which might influence his decision. Perhaps he should consider the offer more thoroughly, for he knew that once he accepted, it would be bothersome to turn back.

Besides, Hatake Kakashi was right. He _had_ been feeling rather restless recently. In particular, the past few years. And he was not foolish enough to delude himself that his predicament had nothing to do with a certain pink-haired kunoichi. He had been only mildly troubled by her absence at first, and then as the months passed, he had grown increasingly unsettled.

In fact, he had been restless enough to pay Konoha a stealthy visit several years ago, around the time when the Konoha was torn between two fighting Hokages, only to discover that Sakura was not to be found there either. Finally, he had come to the conclusion that she must have foolishly allowed herself to be slain in battle.

His conclusion, however, was merely an unconfirmed assumption. One which he would confirm now.

"I have a question," he ventured evenly.

The Shichidaime's brow rose. "Will it help you to decide?"

"Perhaps."

Kakashi shrugged. "Go on."

"A medic was assigned to Yugakure several years ago," he began slowly, watching as Kakashi's eyes widen slightly. "A pink-haired kunoichi."

"She has completed that assignment." In careful tones, Kakashi asked, "Why?"

"Nothing significant. I recall seeing her then. And she… healed me once, unaware of my identity."

"Oh?"

"I simply wish to thank her."

"You'll get the opportunity to do so if you accept."

There was no mistaking the feeling which washed over him. It was relief, pure and simple. She was not dead.

"So, Uchiha. You haven't given your decision."

And he had no intention of giving one before weighing the advantages and disadvantages. Even with Sakura's presence tilting the balance. Deciding that the meeting had gone on long enough, he turned away from Konoha's newest Hokage.

"I will be in contact."

Forming his seals quickly, he disappeared from his sight.

But not before he saw the flash of irritation in Kakashi's single visible eye.

000

* * *

000

Sakura leapt from rooftop to rooftop until she reached a new block of residential apartments. Scaling the ten-storey building easily via the balconies, she soon found herself standing outside Naruto's apartment.

There, she knocked on the glass and called out, "Naruto! Naruto, wake up!"

She stepped back from the glazed door and waited. At one time, she had been stupid enough to pick the lock in her impatience, only to be greeted by the sight of Naruto and Hinata doing… things she had no business be seeing. Since then, she'd decided that it was best for her to just wait outside.

A couple of minutes later, the pitter-patter of wobbly footsteps reached her, and the glazed door slid open to reveal a tidy living room with one tiny occupant.

"Morning, Sakura-san!" a bubbly blonde boy of three greeted, his pale Hyuuga eyes bright with delight.

Leaning down, Sakura beamed down at Naruto's and Hinata's son. "Good morning, Minato-chan. Where's your Otou-san?"

"Inside," Minato chirped. "Come in?"

"Okay."

Straightening, she glanced past the boy to see a sleep-ruffled Naruto stepping into the living room. Thankfully, he was already dressed in his ANBU gear, otherwise she would have to wait even longer. It was beginning to look as if he was adopting Kakashi's bad habits.

"Sakura-chan," he greeted sleepily, smiling a little.

Sakura felt her heart dip slightly as she returned his smile. Naruto had changed so much since the incident with Sasuke. It was only recently that he seemed to be slowly going back to his old self. Even though he still smiled, the brilliant spark was no longer as bright. It was as if he blamed himself in some ways for Sasuke's demise.

But that was not the case, because she knew there were so many other events which had contributed to the choices Sasuke had made. As much as it saddened her, she knew that Sasuke had not been blameless. She had not been there when it had happened, but she had heard the stories. When Danzou had captured him to bring him back, the Uchiha had been completely unrepentant. What had eventually caused his downfall were his repeated attempts at escape, even to the extent of fatally harming his guards.

By the time they had managed to regain control of Konoha, Sasuke had been executed. She could still remember just how distraught she had been, but she had been away. Naruto had been in the thick of things, and had been angrier than anyone had ever seen him, even to the extent of threatening bodily harm to Kakashi. As much as the Kakashi hated to hurt Naruto, he had no choice but to put the village's security above everything else. The council had been right in decreeing that the bodies of all shinobi with bloodline limit to be destroyed.

However, it was the very same council which had since been abolished. The remaining two members had simply died of old age a few years ago, and Kakashi had chosen not to reform another one. Instead, he relied on information and advice from Ibiki and Shikamaru.

But all that had happened a long time ago, five years to be exact. At that time, she, Naruto and Sasuke had been only what? Nineteen? Her lips twisted bitterly.

Nineteen was such a young age to die, wasn't it, Sasuke?

"Oi, Sakura-chan!"

She blinked out of her contemplations to find Naruto peering at her curiously. Laughing lightly as she began to walk to the edge of the balcony, she shook her head. "Just thinking, that's all."

Naruto gave her a questioning look. "Eh? About what?"

"Things. Now let's go before we're late."

Bringing up Sasuke was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Naruto. There was no telling how he would react.

As for her, she found herself avoiding all thoughts of Sasuke because she each time she did so, she was reminded of another person. It had been a year since she had seen him last, and if she could help it, she never wanted to see him again, so that she did not have to relive all those painful emotions again. The feelings were still all too raw, and to some extent, she blamed him for many things.

The image of his face flashed across her eyes then, and Sakura forcibly brushed it away. She had closed that chapter in her life, and it was time to move on.

Jumping up to perch on the balcony rails, Naruto chuckled. "You're not thinking about Ryo, are you?"

Sakura smiled at the mental imagery of the redhead. "No, I'm sure Ryo is having the time of his life in Suna right now."

"When is he coming back?"

"I suppose when Gaara sends him back, or when his one month is up. Whichever comes first," Sakura replied with a grin. "Come on, we have to go now. This sounds urgent. Kakashi will have our heads if we're late again."

"We can blame it on his bad influence."

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, we can definitely do that."

With that, they launched themselves down to the ground and swiftly made their way towards their shared destination.

When they finally arrived at the Hokage's Tower, most of the ANBUs were already there, tightly packed into the space. Besides her and Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru and Shino were also there from their intake year. The rest were older ANBUs.

Seated behind his desk with Ibiki standing to one side, Kakashi had his hands propped under his cloth-covered chin as he regarded them thoughtfully. Sometimes, she could hardly believe that her tardy sensei was now the leader of Konoha. But then again, he was the obvious choice once Tsunade had died in battle. The thought of her old shishou, as always, brought a pang of sadness to her.

The sound of hushed whispers of her comrades drew her out of her contemplations. A little confused about why they were all gathered like this, Sakura turned sideways to cast a questioning glance at Neji, someone who seemed to have a lot of inside knowledge about such things. However, Neji simply shook his head slightly, silently telling her that he, too, did not know what was going on. A glance towards Shikamaru only yielded a useless shrug. But her eyes narrowed at the way the shadow user refused meet her eyes directly.

"Where's Genma?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

"Out on a mission, Hokage-sama," one of the other ANBUs replied.

"Ah, yes. I've forgotten about that." Waving a dismissive hand about, he continued, "So, it looks like we're all here."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good." He scanned the room again. "I suppose you're all aware of the recent issue plaguing the ANBU."

Sakura grimaced as everyone began to shuffle uncomfortably. Yes, they were all more than aware of the separate incidences which involved the mysterious deaths of ANBU operatives over the last few months. Some had said that those ANBU had been careless, and some said that they were simply weak. And those who were more suspicious suspected that someone was out there killing off Konoha's ANBU operatives. Sakura did not know what to think because the autopsies proved nothing.

"I take it you don't need further explanations on that." Kakashi's tone was flat.

One of the ANBUs held up a hand. "Hokage-sama, are you suspecting foul play?"

Kakashi raised a brow. "Should I?"

The ANBU shook his head. "I don't know."

Kakashi regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, and then he stood up abruptly to stretch. "That's your answer, then."

Sakura frowned, growing slightly impatient. Would he get to the point? Why did Kakashi call them there then if he had nothing to say? What was he playing at?

"Neh, Kakashi-sensei, why did you call us?" Naruto asked in his usual blunt manner.

"Ah, it's like this, Naruto. I ordered an analysis done on the situation. There is a simple reason for the deaths of those ANBU operatives. Seems that the ANBU training regime is simply inadequate, and the entrance exams flawed. This ultimately led to the death of those operatives," Kakashi finished with a slight eye crinkle.

A collective gasp sounded around the room, and Sakura's eyes shot wide open. Inadequate? Kakashi must be kidding. The entrance test for ANBU was one of the most difficult things she had gone through. And she knew that she was not the only one who had such an impression. She had spent _two weeks_ recovering from her injuries after that exam.

"What are you saying, Kakashi-sensei! That we'll have to retake the exams?" Naruto exclaimed incredulously.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, grabbing his sleeves even though he paid no attention to her. Naruto might end up making things worse if he did not shut up. Kakashi could be a bit sadistic sometimes.

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "You, especially, could do with a bit more work. Some discipline would be good." Glancing around, he continued, "Lucky for you all, I'm not stripping you of your ANBU status. But ANBU will undergo some restructuring, which means that some of you might have to undertake… ah… refresher sessions, and perhaps some evaluation tests."

A discontented rumble rose in response to his verbal confirmation. Sakura instantly wilted at the thought of it. If Kakashi thought that the old test was inadequate, he would make sure that this new improved one was much worse. In that case, half of them would probably fail. Or die trying.

"Unbelievable."

"Tell me about it."

"What about missions?" Yuugao asked. "Do we still go on missions as usual with all these... refresher sessions?"

"You'll only be deployed on critical ones," Kakashi replied.

"How long is this training going to last?"

Kakashi waved a dismissive hand in the air. "As long as it takes."

Frowning slightly, Neji spoke for the first time. "Who will be training us?"

The corner of Kakashi's eyes creased as he smiled widely, and for some reason, Sakura just _knew _that this whole thing would take a turn for the worse. Her sensei never smiled like that unless he was about to drop something really, really big on them. And nasty. It had to be something nasty as well.

"I'm glad you asked, Hyuuga." Turning to Ibiki, he instructed, "Tell him to join us now."

Ibiki eyes flickered once, and then he nodded before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Sakura stared at the silver-haired Hokage with growing suspicion.

There was something more to this entire thing. Firstly, Kakashi was not the type to listen to the rubbish about ANBU training being weak. Kakashi knew fully well what they had to go through to make it into ANBU in the first place, and it was not easy. Then there was the fact that he was restructuring the whole of ANBU and re-training ALL the operatives, which did not make sense. Who on earth was stronger than Naruto in terms of power? Who had better strategic skills than Shikamaru? And to think that Neji might need additional training was simply ridiculous.

No… her sensei was definitely hiding something.

"Neh, Kakashi-sensei, is it someone we know?" Naruto asked curiously.

"It is someone you know," Kakashi confirmed evasively.

Sakura's suspicion intensified.

"It's probably Yamashiro," one of the ANBUs said. "He's one of the seniors after all."

Another rolled his eyes. "He's not the type to agree to this. Lazy bastard."

"Aoba is far too busy for this," Sakura pointed out.

"But he was one of the best, right?" Naruto interjected, sounding hopeful. His eyes gleamed with excitement. "It will be like old times, then."

"We only went on two missions with him," Sakura muttered dryly. And Naruto got along just fine with the older ANBU because of their shared pervertedness.

A quiet knock sounded on the door, drawing all eyes to it, and Ibiki stepped in. "He's here."

Smiles now gone, Kakashi gave them a look of warning. "You can stop speculating now. And before any of you overreact, please remember that this restructuring is necessary. And as Leaf shinobi, you're expected to do as you're told."

Like everyone else in the room, Sakura turned to the door as it swung open wider.

Then a collective gasp sounded as a dark-haired shinobi stepped into the room, his posture regal and his steps unhurried. The room suddenly descended into a frigid silence as they all stared at the newcomer. No other sound could be heard as his onyx eyes swept over them with obvious indifference.

Sakura felt her heart grind to a halt when his presence sank in fully.

Kakashi had asked _him_ to train them?

It could not be.

What was Kakashi thinking?

Stunned, she could only stare wordlessly as the pair of onyx, not crimson, eyes landed on her. Then, to her incredulity, those lips lifted into a smirk. He was mocking her. She could not believe it, but he was actually standing there, in the Hokage's office, with the nerve to _mock_ her.

"Uchiha Itachi will be heading up the restructuring."

…***…***…***…

t.b.c.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

* * *

**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 - Chapter 2**

The silence in the room was fraught with tension.

Clearly, it was the result of his presence, Itachi thought with a small amount of bemusement. It would be interesting to see how they would react to his orders in the future. It would not be easy, that was for certain.

However, at the moment, he was content to fix his attention on a certain pink-haired kunoichi. The familiar flare of her green eyes and her tense posture were more than enough to tell him that she was straining to control herself. It was clear that she did not expect his presence. Or particularly welcomed it. In fact, now that she seemed to have overcome her initial shock at seeing him, Itachi was quite certain that she would like nothing more than to slam those tightly clenched fists of hers into his face.

It did not matter. He would remain in Konoha, whether she liked it or not. It would be most amusing to see if she had changed over the last six years, though her presence in this room already suggested that she had. He had not expected her to be an ANBU, let alone the one he had encountered a year ago. She had not struck him as the type all those years ago, after all.

A heavy burst of chakra drew his attention to another ANBU shaking uncontrollably beside her. It was the kyuubi jinchuuriki, Naruto, and it was evident from the redness streaking his eyes that he was enraged.

It was as if Naruto's reaction was a catalyst to the rest. The moment he exhibited his anger, the rest of them broke out of their previously frozen state. Itachi stored this little fact at the back of his mind.

"He's an S-class missing nin, Hokage-sama!"

"He massacred his whole clan."

"Should he really be allowed in here?"

And then Uzumaki Naruto snarled, "What the hell are you doing here? You have some nerve, stepping into Konoha like this!"

"Naruto!" the Hokage snapped in warning.

Before the blond could launch forward, two other male ANBUs grabbed him. "Calm down, Uzumaki!" one of them hissed.

"Let me go, damn it! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Naruto snarled, trying to break free from the two ANBU who were holding him back.

Itachi decided to step in. After all, this formed part of his task.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Said jinchuuriki stilled briefly, even though the murderous glare was still in full effect.

"Is this how a Leaf ANBU should behave?" Itachi asked quietly, his tone dripping with censure.

The temperature in the room seemed to dip a little further, and Itachi had to suppress a smirk when the rest of the ANBU shifted their eyes away from him. Except for the pink-haired kunoichi and Naruto, of course. Both of them were still glaring fearlessly at him. Subduing their opposition of him would be challenging.

"Insubordination will not be tolerated," he told them.

The two teammates did not react to his proclamation, and instead, continued to glare mutinously at him. It suddenly occurred to him then that he welcomed the challenge, welcomed the break in the monotony of his life.

The Hokage clapped his hands together suddenly, drawing their attention. "Now that you've been introduced to your new captain, are there any questions?"

Nothing but silence greeted him.

"Well then." Kakashi turned to him. "Before I dismiss them, do you have anything to say, Uchiha?"

Itachi inclined his head once before turning to eye the group of uncomfortable ANBU operatives. "Report to Training Ground Five tomorrow, 0600 hours sharp for your briefing," he instructed evenly.

Murmurs of assent filtered through the air, peppered with several stronger, unflattering mutters. A sense of déjà-vu washed over Itachi at the realization that this was not any different from what things had been like before he had left Konoha all those years ago. He had not been a well-liked squad leader then, either.

"You're all dismissed," the Hokage announced, standing up to walk to the door. "Shikamaru, stay behind."

The Shichidaime Hokage waited for all of them to file out, closing the door behind them before turning back to him. Only three of them were present there now. A grim expression crossed Kakashi's face then, and he reached up to rub his temple.

"That went well," the Copy-Nin muttered dryly as he sat back down.

"Naruto and Sakura didn't take it too well," the spiky-haired strategist said as he slouched against the wall. "Troublesome, but not surprising."

Itachi arched a brow at those words. Nara Shikamaru was clearly understating Sakura's and Naruto's reactions.

Lifting his eyes to him, the Shichidaime asked, "You're clear on the situation?"

"Aa."

"I've given him all the information he might need, Hokage-sama."

Eyeing him carefully, Kakashi said, "I take it you've signed the blood-scroll agreement?"

Itachi replied evenly, "Yes."

The agreement had simply stated that he would not betray the Hokage, Konoha or harm its loyal occupants during the course of this mission, nor would he divulge anything he had learnt to external parties without Leaf's consent. The consequences of breaking a blood-scroll agreement was nothing he could not handle, but then again, they did not know that. Still, he had no intention of going back on his words, and since it made them breathe easier, he had signed it.

The fact that he had to do so told him of their distrust of him, even though they were aware of his true allegiance. They still regarded him with suspicion, not that he expected otherwise. But perhaps he should attempt to put their mind at ease.

"Your concern is unnecessary. I have every intention of completing this task."

The seventh Hokage of Konoha nodded, but Itachi noticed a gleam of something in his one visible eye. Hatake Kakashi suspected him of having an ulterior motive, it seemed. And he would be right.

Shikamaru sighed. "You understand that you'll have a hard time facing everyone in Konoha, don't you, Uchiha?"

"I'm aware of that."

"And you still want to keep the past quiet?" Kakashi pressed.

Itachi nodded.

"Could make your life a lot easier, you know?" Shikamaru pointed out.

"They do not need to know," Itachi returned smoothly. "I'm only ANBU's new captain."

Kakashi cast him a dry look. "Well then, do us a favor and don't overdo things with the ANBU, alright? It's only supposed to be a cover after all."

Itachi raised a brow. "You do not wish to improve the Leaf ANBU?"

Kakashi gave him a shrewd look. "I suppose that means you're planning on giving them a hard time, then."

"Perhaps these assassinations could be avoided if the operatives are better trained."

Kakashi shook his head, the corner of his eye crinkling slightly. "Just make sure they are still able to move when you're done with them."

"They will live."

"I'm beginning to wonder if this is such a good idea," Kakashi muttered before slanting an accusing look at Shikamaru. "If it all goes downhill, I'll hold you responsible since it's your brilliant idea."

"Che."

000

* * *

000

Sakura's steps were jerky as she made her way across the streets to Ichiraku. Beside her, Naruto was still glowering darkly. The shock of seeing Itachi dressed in the full ANBU gear, a new-unmarked hitai-ate covering his forehead and his subsequent mocking of her, was still reverberating within her. She felt out of sorts, on edge and she wished for nothing more than to run as far away as possible away from him. At the same time, she wanted to march straight up to him and punch his arrogant face in for everything he had done.

Also, the possible implications of Itachi's return were beginning to make their way through her mind, and her thoughts were streaking in many different directions, playing through the many potential, horrible situations that might occur in the near future. None of them made her feel any better.

She knew she had a good reason to worry. Despite the time they had spent together, she barely knew him. He had massacred his clan for reasons unknown, so what if he found out…

Her fists clenched.

"I cannot believe it," Sakura gritted out. "How could Kakashi even think of bringing HIM, of all people, back to Konoha like this? And to think that we're going to have to obey his orders."

"I'll kill him," Naruto muttered darkly, his entire body strained. "Just wait until I get a chance."

Alarmed at Naruto's words, she spun around and warned, "You do realize that he has the Hokage's approval to be here, right?"

"I don't care!"

Sakura sighed, reaching up to rub the side of her head, which was beginning to throb with the stress. "Naruto… You're not supposed to know this, but I'll tell you anyway. Remember that time I went on a mission with Sai's squad few months ago?"

"How could I forget? When you got back, you were flat out from chakra exhaustion, and Sai didn't wake up until three weeks later," Naruto ground out.

"Our opponent was Itachi."

"See! That bastard deserves to die."

"Well, let me tell you that he's not that easy to kill," she pointed out dryly. "Sai brought out his blood tiger and still lost. Itachi is strong. His hunter-nins were only alive because he left them alive. We were alive because he let us live."

Naruto fell silent.

Sakura hoped she had gotten through to her friend. It was no secret that the hunter-nin squads were nothing to be laughed at. So if they could not take down Itachi, it was unlikely that Naruto would be able to. Unless, of course, he adopted the power of the kyuubi.

Now that was a bad idea if she'd ever thought of one.

But since Kakashi had assigned the Uchiha as the overall ANBU captain, there was no way they could do something like that. Whoever he had been in the past, he was now their superior and any action against him would be taken as a betrayal towards Konoha. It seemed that they were stuck.

Sakura wanted to scream but only she ended up groaning inwardly. There was one other thing which concerned her the most. Considering the situation, it was just as well that Ryo was in Suna. He should really stay there until this whole thing was over, whenever it might be. It shouldn't be a problem, because Ryo was legally a citizen of Suna, after all.

"Yo!"

Sakura looked up to find Kakashi perched on the fence beside them. But before she could open her mouth, her blond friend beat her to it.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, turning toward the silver haired Hokage. "Why the hell did you do it?"

She watched intently as Kakashi's brow rose.

"Oh? Do what?" he asked as he vaulted down to the ground in front of them, his white Hokage cloak flapping up behind him.

"You can stop pretending now, sensei. I know there's something else behind this so-called restructuring. So what is it?" Sakura demanded to know.

An uncomfortable chuckle escaped the Copy-Nin while he waved a dismissive hand about. "Ah, you may be right."

"And why didn't you tell us?" Naruto bellowed indignantly. "That you have asked him to come back? And why him? He killed Sasuke!"

His single visible eye crinkled as he took a wary step back. "Technically, he didn't. The ANBU Root did that under the council's orders."

Sakura immediately shifted to corner Kakashi against the fence with Naruto's help. "Don't you even think of running away. We need answers and we need answers NOW."

Kakashi sagged visibly, holding up both hands. "Alright, alright. What do you want to know?"

"Why is Uchiha Itachi really here?"

The Copy-nin adopted a contemplative look. "To make sure your skills are up to par? Fix up ANBU?"

"You can't seriously expect us to believe that. What we have now is good enough," Sakura pointed out.

"Obviously it's not good enough because seven ANBU operatives just died recently." His expression turning sober, Kakashi continued, "Also, without Tenzou, the ANBU has been rather disorganized lately."

"Aoba could have taken Tenzou's position, sensei." Her tone was flat. "He is good enough."

Kakashi's eye creased. "Remind me to include you in my little circle of advisors, alright? I'll call for you the next time we have one of those tedious day-long meetings. You can take notes."

She scowled at him. Kakashi was not taking them seriously at all.

"Why?" Naruto asked plaintively now. "I just don't get it."

Kakashi's tone was uncharacteristically gentle when he said, "It is for the good of the village."

Naruto closed his eyes as if in pain. "And what about Sasuke?"

"Naruto," she called out softly, reaching out to rub one of his shoulders.

"I'm fine," Naruto replied in a rough voice, darting her a quick smile to soften it.

"Listen. I know the two of you don't like the idea of him being here, but it's best that you don't antagonize him."

Sakura bristled, while Naruto snorted derisively.

Kakashi gave them both warning glances. Sakura could have sworn that his gaze stayed longer on her, making her wonder if Itachi had actually told Kakashi the truth about them. But why should he? Telling Kakashi would only complicate matters, and there was no benefit in it. And if she had learnt anything about Itachi in the time they had spent together, he never did anything unless there was something in it for himself.

A small voice at the back of her mind nudged at her, whispering that that was not strictly true. Grimacing, Sakura ignored the voice. In front of her, Kakashi's expression hardened.

"I'm serious. Uchiha Itachi is not the type to stand for it. You will only make things worse for yourselves."

Naruto's hands clenched, and Sakura quickly wrapped his fist with her palm, hoping that he would calm down. As familiar as they were with Kakashi, he was now their Hokage and deserved to be treated as such. Having Naruto explode in rage at him in public was certainly not the way to treat their Hokage.

Instead, she fixed Kakashi with an uncompromising stare. "You sure you know what you're doing, Sensei?"

The Copy-Nin rubbed the back of his head, averting his face from her. "Well, we'll know soon, won't we?"

And then something occurred to her. "Was Shikamaru the one who came up with this?"

Kakashi appeared as if he was about to answer, and then his eyes widened as he glanced past them. "Look!"

Sakura spun in the direction he was looking at, only to find that there was nothing to see. Much to her annoyance, when she turned back, Kakashi had poofed out of existence. That conniving little…

"I can't believe we fell for that again!" Naruto yelled, throwing his arms up in the air.

"He's not telling us anything anyway," Sakura grumbled irritably. "We might have better luck with Shikamaru."

Both of them fell silent, and Sakura snuck a glance at Naruto to find him wearing an expression she recognized all too well from the past few years. Frankly, she felt the same, but she knew that one of them had to snap the other out of it.

"Don't, Naruto," she advised quietly.

Her blond friend closed his blue eyes, and then slowly opened them to reveal the pain within. "It should have been different, you know. Sasuke should be here. With us."

"I know."

"Having Itachi here…" Naruto clenched his hands. "It just makes things harder."

Sakura nodded gravely. Their wounds were healing, albeit slowly, but Itachi's return to Konoha ripped those wounds open again, reminding them of Sasuke's demise. Reminding them that Itachi had played a large part in the death of their teammate.

Furthermore, Itachi's presence reminded her of the things she had hidden from her friends and things she had hidden from him. Now that he was here, she was forced to think of what could happen when the truth came out into the open. What would everyone think of her previous relationship with Itachi? Would they condemn her for hiding it, and subsequently, hiding her accidental encounter with him last year? She had broken protocol, she knew. And some might even say what she had done was akin to betraying Konoha by keeping quiet about one of its missing nins.

All these were things she did not wish to deal with, things she had hoped would simply fade into the past. But reality was not like that, was it? Reality was harsh, painful and unforgiving and it had a horrid way of returning when you least expected it to.

She took in a deep breath to settle her thoughts. Neither of them could do much about Itachi's presence here. What they needed instead was a distraction.

Reaching out, she grabbed Naruto by the arm. "Let's go back to your place and get Hinata and Minato."

Naruto looked startled. "Huh? I thought we're going for ramen."

"I've got a better idea. Let's do something fun before training starts tomorrow."

"Like what?"

"We are going out for a picnic."

000

* * *

000

From a shadowed spot in the tree, Itachi watched silently as the group of four laughed and talked while they set out the food on a colorful plastic mat in a small clearing by the river in the forest. Inevitably, his eyes kept returning to a particular pink-haired kunoichi.

Unlike earlier, when she had been dressed in the basic ANBU gear, she was now wearing casual clothes, reminiscent of what she had been wearing when he had noticed her for the first time, seven years ago or so. She had changed a little ever since they had parted ways. Her features had matured slightly, and her body now reflected her occupation as an active ANBU operative.

But what was most obvious was the strain which seemed to radiate from her. Was this due to his presence? Was she truly so adverse to his return to Konoha?

And then there was the anger she did not bother to conceal. Whilst he had not given her the whole truth all those years ago, he had only done so in the interest of protecting himself. Surely she understood that. Did she still hold that against him?

Or perhaps her anger stemmed from something else.

"Hm… Didn't have you down as the voyeuristic type."

Itachi did not turn around at the comment. Why should he, when he knew that the man would approach regardless of what he did.

True enough, a moment later, Hatake Kakashi landed on another branch, close to him. The Copy-Nin stared out through the dense foliage, obviously spotting the group by the riverbank. Idly, Itachi wondered what the Hatake wanted.

"Hope you've given up on kidnapping the jinchuuriki," the silver-haired Hokage commented casually.

Itachi felt the corner of his lips tilt upwards at the Shichidaime's less than subtle prodding. "It was never my true objective to capture him. You know that."

"Aa. Yes." After a short pause, which was no doubt deliberate, the Hatake continued, "The orders did not cover that."

"No."

The Copy-Nin fell silent then, and both of them watched as Hyuuga Hinata rushed to intercept her son before the boy could jump headlong into the cold water rushing down the river. Seated on the mat, Naruto and Sakura just watched them with smiles on their faces.

"So, if you're not watching Naruto…" the silver-haired man trailed off meaningfully.

Itachi shook his head once, but said nothing. The man was perceptive enough to deduce the truth without him. He did not wish to hide his interest in the kunoichi, for it was pointless. Eventually, the rest of Konoha would realize the true reason for his return to this village, and it was not to reclaim his position within the crumbling walls of the Uchiha estate nor assist them in rectifying the problems within ANBU.

It was Sakura.

If only he had known that she had survived the war, he would have sought her out sooner. But he had found no sign of her in all those months he had searched for her in Fire Country after they have parted, risking exposure as he did so. All signs had suggested that she was dead, and he had eventually accepted it. The rumors had circulated that she was dead, and he had eventually accepted it. And that was his mistake.

"She has been through a lot."

Itachi slid a glance at the other shinobi, intrigued by his comment. Did he mean that Sakura had been through a lot because of her assignment all those years ago, or was he referring to something recent? A wave of uncertainty washed over him as he wondered what Sakura had been up to all these years.

Kakashi raised a brow. "Nothing to say, Uchiha?"

The corner of his lips tilted slightly before he responded, "Do you usually leave your office to personally watch over your shinobi, Hokage-sama?"

"Aa. It's my job to look after them, don't you agree?"

Itachi turned back to the laughing group, his mind wandering to the past as he murmured, "Perhaps if the previous Hokages had made as much effort, many things would be very much simpler today."

"Perhaps." After a pause, Kakashi added, "We'll never know, would we? Besides, every Hokage deals with things differently."

Both of them fell into silence soon afterward, both watching as the three adults some distance away played with the little boy, whose golden hair shone under the sun. With a Hyuuga mother and Uzumaki Naruto as the father, many would have great expectations of the boy, Itachi mused. But perhaps his parents would protect him from unreasonable pressures.

The Copy-Nin left without another word, but Itachi noticed the moment he was gone without taking his eyes away from the group. Hinata and Sakura were now packing, the picnic clearly over, while Naruto had his son on his shoulders.

When Itachi finally turned to walk away, to return to the silent and dusty Uchiha compound, Sakura and her friends were long gone.

000

* * *

000

The next morning found Sakura standing in the designated training grounds, dressed in full ANBU gear with the exception of the mask, which hung at the base of her neck. The line of shinobi carried on to her left and right, with Naruto next to her. All of them were silent, standing at attention for several hours now, judging by the height of the sun.

And it was beginning to get really uncomfortable. Her entire body felt locked tight after all those hours of immobility, but she knew she was not allowed to move. She could almost feel the tension radiating from Naruto, telling her that the blond almost had enough of standing still. She did not blame him.

She tried hard not to glare at the source of her discomfort. Itachi was still walking unhurriedly back and forth several feet in front of them since he had called them to attention. His expression betrayed nothing as he studied them, as if the small action itself would tell him everything he needed to know about them. For all she knew, that might be true. Who knew what he was capable of?

Gritting her teeth, she continued to stare straight ahead as she fumed inwardly. What was Itachi playing at? Was this some kind of weird psychological test? To see how long it took before they cracked from the inactivity? How long had it been, anyway?

The sun was now beating down on them mercilessly. Even though the temperature was low, the direct sun in the cloudless sky was intense enough to burn. Sakura could feel the exposed skin of her face heating up as she continued to hold her position. Beside her, Naruto was beginning to shift slightly. She waited until Itachi was facing away from them before she flicked a glance at her blond friend.

"Don't, Naruto," she cautioned under her breath.

The nod Naruto gave her was almost imperceptible, but she was glad that he got the message. Right now, they did not need to give their sadistic captain more of a reason to keep them standing there. As it was, no one knew just how long they would be standing there. Itachi could-

Before she could finish her thoughts, there was a sharp blur.

And Itachi was standing in front of them.

She sucked in an involuntary breath at his sudden proximity, but managed not to take a step back, even though the muscles in her legs were tensed to do so. It took everything she had to hold herself still, and stare past the new ANBU captain's shoulder to some indeterminate point beyond.

"Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto." He paused, allowing his eyes to drag over them assessingly. "There are times when you'll be required to remain immobile, while maintaining your focus. Do you agree?"

Sakura's lips thinned slightly at his silky tones. She was about to respond when the flare of energy beside her made her swivel around in alarm to face her furious friend. With one single step forward, Naruto broke out of formation, glaring at Itachi as she groaned inwardly. Around them, the line of ANBU operatives tensed as a group.

"Cut the crap, Uchiha! You made us stand here for what? The last FIVE hours? What the hell was that for?" Naruto snapped. "This is what you call training?"

Remaining unaffected by Naruto's fury, the Uchiha simply raised a brow. "Yes."

Naruto went on heatedly, "I've had enough of standing still. You said this is training. I say, stuff it! Whenever we need to keep still in the field, it's because we are hiding, but right now, we're standing right out in the open where anyone can see us. This standing still crap doesn't make sense, and I'm not doing it anymore!"

"Well said."

What?

Sakura blinked in disbelief.

Their captain turned away from them to walk a few steps away before swiveling around to face them again. "The rest of you. Do you agree with Uzumaki?" he asked casually.

At his question, there was a ripple of movement along the line of ANBU. Sakura glanced at the Uchiha, trying to understand where he was leading this. Knowing him, it could be anything. She probably should not even bother trying. It had been difficult to read him all those years ago, so why should it be any different now? He was the master of deception, after all. Look how well he had deceived her, she thought bitterly.

"Answer me," he commanded in a harsher tone when no one responded.

Slowly, several affirmative answers could be heard, although they were said in a rather uncertain manner. Sakura found herself murmuring along, her voice blending in with the rest. Much to her surprise, there was also a smattering of those with negative answers.

"Those of you who said no, follow me," he instructed.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Sakura could see the smirks on some of the faces of those who peeled out of the line of ANBU. There were only six of them, around ten percent of the group, she noted. She ground her teeth together in annoyance as she wondered just what Itachi would do with her and the rest now.

Itachi led them far enough that the words he said to them could not be heard, no matter how hard she strained to hear. However, there was no mistaking the growing tension in their form as their captain continued to speak, the previous smirks disappearing quickly. Whatever Itachi was telling them, it was obviously not good.

She frowned in confusion when she realized that Itachi might have meant for them to question him in the first place. But why?

After a while, the six ANBU went in the opposite direction, while Itachi returned to them. Once again, his expression betrayed nothing of what had gone on earlier, and Sakura found herself itching to know.

Instead, there was an odd gleam in his eyes, one which sent alarms blaring through Sakura's mind when Itachi's eyes landed on Naruto.

"We shall now progress to the next stage. Are we in agreement?"

Naruto continued to shoot daggers at the Uchiha captain, but he said nothing else. For that, Sakura was thankful. The situation was now quite precarious, and none of them needed Naruto to make things worse. All she wanted was to get out of this with as little damage as possible.

Itachi took his eyes away from them to sweep a glance over the rest of the ANBU. "At ease," he finally instructed.

There was a collective sigh of relief at his words, but the tension remained high. Like her, the rest of them were probably wondering what had happened to those six ANBU operatives and what Uchiha Itachi would throw at them next. They did not have to wait long, for the ANBU captain soon stopped his striding to face them.

"The next assessment of your abilities is best carried out by sparring," he told them.

Sakura almost groaned out loud. After all that immobility, her muscles felt like mush, and she was sure that the rest felt the same, judging from the muted sighs which rang out. What was worse was that their captain probably was aiming just for this.

"Your best opponent is someone close to you," he continued, his gaze turning meaningful.

Sakura's eyes widened, her heart dropping when she realized what his words meant. Filled with trepidation, she snuck a glance at Naruto, who still had his eyes pinned on Itachi. As if sensing her regard, he turned around to give her a reassuring smile, wordlessly telling her not to worry.

In front of them, the ANBU captain continued, "Pair up with your genin teammate, and if there isn't one, then anyone from your genin years." His expression was uncompromising when he said, "I wish to see your true abilities. And if I'm satisfied with your performance, you may be excused from these sessions for the rest of the week."

She exchanged a hopeful glance with Naruto.

"Do you have any questions?" Itachi asked mildly.

A hand came up. "You said to display our true skills, but how far should we take this, Taichou? Where do we draw the line?" Aoba asked.

"You may not kill your opponent, or damage them irreparably."

There was a ripple of discomfort at his words, and Sakura knew that the rest felt as uneasy as she did. No one wanted to take things that far in a sparring session. Most of the time, sparring session stipulated no wounds which lasted more than a day. And that was bad enough, considering that most injuries could be easily healed by a medic nin in that time.

"You will be fighting against someone close to you and I am aware that some of you may..." Itachi's eyes landed on Naruto. "... hold back. You may do so to your own detriment and your partner's. For if I'm unsatisfied with what I see, you will be training twice as rigorously as the rest."

Sakura's shoulders drooped in dejection. Uchiha Itachi was truly a bastard. He knew that most of them would hold back, so he had to dangle an incentive for them to think twice about it; save themselves the extra training, or suffer through it together with their teammate.

"I'm not doing this!" Naruto declared heatedly, jabbing a finger in Itachi's direction. "I'm not hurting Sakura for something like this."

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath. "Naruto!" she hissed. He would get them into more trouble at the rate he was going.

"Oh?" Itachi arched a brow, unperturbed by the blond's outburst.

Sakura knew things had gone from bad to worse when a slow smirk grew upon his face. Everyone around her tensed at the sight, and she wished more than anything that she could be anywhere but there. Naruto, however, remained unrepentant.

"I'm not falling for it, you bastard! You jerked around Sasuke so much that he ended up all messed up, and now you're trying to do it to us! Well, I won't let you do this!" the blonde yelled, visibly trembling in anger. He swung his arm around to indicate everyone. "Not to all of us!"

This time, she grabbed Naruto's arm. "Stop it!" she urged. "You're not helping matters."

Naruto was so incensed that he barely spared her a glance. "It's true!"

The ANBU around them began to murmur amongst themselves as she tugged forcefully at her friend's arm. "Leave it, Naruto."

"Let him say what he wants, Haruno," Itachi interjected calmly.

She blinked, her hold on Naruto loosening. It was the first time Itachi had addressed her directly, and for a moment, she was uncertain how to react. But Naruto took the decision away from her with his next words.

"Sasuke was telling the truth, all those things about you. Everyone thought he lied. Thought he was out of his mind. No one believed him because they thought you were dead," he accused heatedly. "Why did you do it?"

The murmurs around them ceased abruptly at the question. It was almost as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see how Itachi dealt with this. Not wanting to meet Itachi's eyes, Sakura dropped her gaze. Most of them knew, of course, of Sasuke's downfall. They had been in Konoha, after all, unlike her. She had not been there to see it, but it did not mean that she felt any less anguished about Sasuke. Still, only a handful knew what Sasuke had revealed under drugged interrogation, which was what Naruto was referring to.

Itachi's response, when it rang out, was deep and clear.

"One day, you will understand that Sasuke is where he is now because of his own choices. And then perhaps forgive yourself for your inability to influence him."

Sakura's brows furrowed at his cryptic words, now feeling somewhat angered. What did he mean by that? That Sasuke deserved it? That there was nothing anyone could do to change things? What the hell?

"That's all crap!" Naruto snarled. "You're lying!"

In a flash too fast for anyone to see, Itachi had Naruto's throat in his grip. Gasps of surprise rang out as Naruto's hands came up to circle the ANBU captain's wrists, his hatred evident in his glare even as his face reddened with the lack of air. Itachi kept his eyes on the blond, and Sakura held her breath with trepidation, hoping that he would not use the Sharingan on Naruto.

And then Itachi leaned close to the blond's ear. She could not hear anything, but from the way Naruto's eyes had widened, she knew that whatever Itachi had said had hit the mark. The fury which had suffused his expression earlier was now replaced by stunned anguish. What was Itachi telling him?

After what seemed like eternity, the ANBU captain finally straightened and released his hold. He took a step back from Naruto, who was rubbing his neck, his eyes now downcast and his brows furrowed in consternation.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you're dismissed."

Naruto only looked at him blankly, silently.

"Go," Itachi ordered flatly.

And with an absentminded nod, the blond turned and walked away. Only then did Itachi take his eyes away from Naruto departing figure to fix his attention on the bewildered line of ANBU operatives.

"Pair up for sparring," he instructed evenly.

Sakura watched as Naruto walked straight out of the training ground without a single backward glance, lost in his own thoughts, his shoulders slumped dejectedly. Sakura was about to go after him, but before she could move, a familiar form came to stand before her.

Her breath hitched, but she forced herself to look up at him. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that everyone had dropped out of formation to pair up. They seemed to be leaving a wide berth around her and their new ANBU captain. She wondered why, she thought dryly. But even though they were slightly separated from the rest, she doubted that Itachi would dredge up their past at a time like this. He had been nothing but professional so far.

His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable as he stared down at her silently, intently, and soon, Sakura had to suppress the involuntary urge to shiver under his regard. He was so close she could almost swear that she could smell that earthy male scent he'd always carried around with him.

She swallowed hard when she realized the direction of her thoughts, and then quickly squashed it. Annoyed by her own reaction to him, she ground her teeth together and hardened her expression.

"Where is your partner?" he asked.

"He just left. You dismissed him…" she responded tightly. "…Taichou," she tagged on as an attempt at the respect she did not feel towards him. Anger and a small amount of fear, perhaps, but certainly not respect, at least not at the moment. Still, she was not stupid enough to challenge him openly.

He glanced around quickly, and when he returned his gaze to her, the dreaded smirk was back. In a quiet, but no less ominous voice, he said, "How fortunate then…"

Cautiously, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"It appears that you'll be sparring… with me."

000


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 3**

"It appears that you'll be sparring… with me."

Itachi studied Sakura's reaction to his announcement intently. Her widened eyes betrayed her shock, but it was masked soon afterwards. He had expected her swift recovery, for it was clear that she was no longer the same emotional kunoichi she had been all those years ago. At the moment, she was most likely strategizing, from the slightly glazed light in her eyes.

"I trust that's acceptable, Haruno," he intoned.

Her expression did not change. "Shouldn't I pair up with someone from my genin years?" she finally asked. "I could wait until one of them has done their session."

"It is unlikely that they will be capable of another session after the first," he told her evenly.

Her eyes flickered. "I see."

Knowing that the rest of the ANBU could be listening, he lowered his voice so that only the kunoichi could hear him. "Are you afraid?"

Her entire form stiffened, but she said nothing. He noticed that she was no longer looking him in the eye. Instead, her gaze was fixed to a certain point beyond his shoulder. It was this that told him that he had affected her with his words.

Deciding to press harder, he took a step forwards and lowered his lips to her ear to murmur, "I believe I've asked you to spar with me, many years ago. You declined then."

Her lips tightened, while her body tensed further.

"Why did you decline?" he asked softly.

She did not respond.

"Answer the question," he ordered, his tone turning harder as he stepped back to see her face.

Only then did she make eye contact. She was not pleased with his line of questioning. Her chin lifted, and the emerald orbs met his gaze unflinchingly.

In that instant, he felt a heady rush of an emotion he could not name. This was the first in recent times that she had met his eyes without hatred, anger or forced apathy in those emerald orbs. And he did not realize until now just how much he wished for her to do so, or how much he had missed seeing emotions playing on her features.

"I'm not certain what you're referring to, Taichou," she responded clearly, stubbornly.

He was not surprised by her answer. In fact, he had anticipated that she might decide to outwardly ignore the existence of their past relationship. Whilst he agreed that it was the best strategy she could adopt at the moment, Itachi had no intention of allowing it to continue indefinitely in that manner.

At the moment, however, he would cease to press her. After all, this was not the appropriate time or place to do so.

So he returned his focus on the assessment. "You will spar with me, then."

"Yes, Taichou," she responded formally.

Inclining his head at her answer, Itachi took his eyes off her to inspect the pairings of the other ANBU operatives. The twenty five or so pairs were waiting expectantly, albeit a little warily. His study of their files would tell him if his subordinates were obeying his instruction in terms of partnering with those closest to them.

Eyes landing on a particular pair, he frowned inwardly. They had followed his instructions, but the differences in their techniques meant that it was not an optimum pairing for this particular session. Deciding that it would not do, he scanned the rest until he saw the solution.

"Hyuuga Neji. Pair up with Aburame Shino. Inuzuka Kiba, you will spar with Inuzuka Ami," he instructed.

The pairs glanced at each other, and then obeyed his instruction. The rest of them smoothly formed a large circle. Satisfied that everyone was where they should be, Itachi stood to one side.

"Ten minutes is the limit." He inclined his head at the first pair. "Inuzuka Kiba and Inuzuka Ami. Begin."

The two cousins stepped into the circle with their dogs, both wearing almost identical challenging grins.

"Ready, Nee-chan?" the younger male asked.

His older cousin snorted dismissively. "Bring it on, Kiba-kun!"

And with that, two pairs of blurs streaked towards each other. Itachi studied their moves intently, weighing their strengths and weaknesses, keeping in mind what needed to be improved. He was also looking out for something else in the execution of their techniques, to see if either of them could have been involved in the recent ANBU assassinations.

At the end of ten minutes, when he called a halt to the fight, both humans and dogs were panting hard, and covered in bleeding lacerations. Inuzuka Kiba was in a worse condition than Inuzuka Ami, but Itachi was not surprised. The latter had more experience, after all.

"Go to the hospital and report to the medic Mogusa," he told them. "He will tend to your wounds." Mogusa had also been ordered to record every single injury for Itachi's perusal later.

"Yes, Taichou," they returned, bowing slightly, before turning to leave the training grounds.

Itachi carried out the same assessment for the next pair. Both Tera and Sai had been once part of ANBU Root, and that gave them a certain level emotional control that the rest of the ANBU lacked. The battle was smoothly strategic, efficient, with no wasted moves or pointless conversation. Before long, it was over with Sai emerging victorious and the combatants sent to Mogusa for treatment.

The next pair to walk into the ring of ANBU was Hyuuga Neji and Aburame Shino. Itachi watched with interest as both employed their bloodline limits to their full potential. He had known of the Hyuuga's potential even before he had left Konoha, but he had not realized the full potential of the Aburame's abilities until now. He also noted that the Hyuuga's bloodline limit meant that most of his attacks were close-range, while his opponent was more of a long-range fighter with the utilization of his bugs.

Once the ten minutes had passed with the Hyuuga faring better than the Aburame, and the pair had left for the hospital to be treated, Itachi called for Yamashiro Aoba and Namiashi Raido to begin. Both of them were experienced ANBU in their mid thirties, so it was not surprising that their performance was exceptional. He kept his eyes on them as their battle intensified, noting that whilst both of them favored close-range techniques, they were also proficient in the long-range techniques. Some shinobi were clearly long-range fighters and others the opposite, and he made a mental note of each.

All the while, Itachi was aware of the subtle glances a certain kunoichi kept darting him. No doubt she was mulling over their pending fight. He was looking forward to it, for it would be their first proper one. The one they had six years ago just prior to their separation, and the one a year ago did not count. The former because she had been too distraught and angered to be fighting objectively, and the latter because she had been more concerned about hiding her identity to fight efficiently. Still, she had managed to escape him then, something which was rather remarkable.

Knowing that he was paying far too much attention on a single kunoichi, even though she was the primary incentive for his return to Konoha, Itachi shelved those thoughts to the back of his mind to concentrate on the rest of the sparring assessment. He had given his word to the Shichidaime, and he would perform his task to the best of his ability.

Earlier, the first phase of the elimination process had resulted in the first six ANBU being dismissed, and now, he had to ensure that the second phase of elimination yielded a good result.

The rest of the afternoon slipped by and one after another, the twenty five pairs had departed for the hospital. Based on Itachi's observations, there were seventeen of them who could be separated from the others. However, this number could change depending on the medic Mogusa's findings during their physical inspections. That would leave him thirty three ANBU members to supervise, inclusive of a certain pink-haired kunoichi. He had decided to keep her close, after all.

Once the second to last pair had hobbled to the hospital, propping each other up, Itachi turned to the single remaining member of the ANBU. They were now alone.

"Haruno Sakura," he murmured, turning to face her, watching as the glow of the late afternoon sun reflected off her pink hair.

The kunoichi stared at him, with a stubborn tilt to her chin. "Yes… Taichou."

The manner in which she had hesitated when she addressed him was a subtle form of insult, and he knew that she had done so deliberately. Now that they were alone, he could bring up their past, to find out where she had been all those years. Her records had been oddly uninformative in that period of time, but he supposed it was because it had been a time of war. It had been that time when the late Godaime had led an attack on Konoha, with the assistance of her loyal shinobi.

Yes, Itachi knew that he could corner Sakura and make her talk now, but suddenly, he found himself reluctant to do so.

For he knew that to do so would be to bring her animosity to the fore.

His reluctance to face this was at odds with the manner in which he usually dealt with unpleasant situations; in other words, directly. However, this was not the first time he was compelled to stray from the norm when it came to this particular woman. He had done so, many times before. She seemed to have the tendency to influence him in strange ways.

Perhaps for now, it was best to keep things professional. Perhaps later, a better opportunity would present itself for them to discuss their past. He was not leaving Konoha anytime soon, after all.

Inclining his head at her, Itachi settled into a battle stance. "You may commence."

Sakura only stared at him, her entire body motionless. A light breeze came by, and her pink hair shifted, the only motion he could see. But he knew that she would make a move soon, because even without his Sharingan activated, he could tell that she was tensed for it.

And then she was gone in a flurry of leaves.

Itachi remained where he was, knowing that she would have to reveal herself soon. Intently, he observed his surroundings.

She appeared behind him with an explosion of rock and debris. He moved swiftly, spinning away from her just in time to avoid being hit by her glowing hand. Unsheathing his katana, he swung at her, but his attack merely connected with a substitution which transformed into a log the moment his blade sliced through.

He scanned the area slowly, knowing that she had to be close by, possibly near the treeline of the surrounding forest even though he could no longer identify the chakra signature specific to her. This handicap irked him, as it had done for the past few years.

His senses suddenly prickled, and Itachi dropped to the ground as a rain of tagged kunai sped towards him from all different directions. She must have created clones to do so, he surmised as he rolled away from the explosion of the tags.

Well, he could easily return the favor.

With a brief series of seals, a handful of his bunshins appeared and sped off in different directions into the surrounding forest. It took a while for them to locate her, but eventually they managed to pinpoint the real kunoichi. Forced out of the ground just at the edge of the forest by two of his clones, she jumped high up in the air and unsheathed her pair of katana. The sharp blades glinted in the late-afternoon sun as they descended upon his clones. Calmly, Itachi watched as his clones executed a water jutsu, bringing forth a burst of water from the ground before they brought their hands together again.

"Suiton: Suijinheki," one of them called out.

The water which had exploded from the ground immediately morphed into a barrier wall around Sakura, trapping her. Itachi could feel a slight spike of chakra from within the wall of water, but the jutsu remained intact. This disappointed him, for he had hoped to see how she would break out of it. Perhaps she would still do so, and if she managed to break free, he would be there to engage her in battle.

Dismissing his clones, he headed towards the wall of water surrounding the kunoichi. Now that he was closer, the spike of chakra he had felt earlier seemed more intense. Instinctively, he stopped some distance away, sensing that she was about to make a move.

He did not have to wait long.

The next thing he knew, the wall of water exploded outwards, sending large sprays of water raining to the ground as the water jutsu was broken.

There was a swell of a breathtaking sensation within him as he watched, waiting in anticipation for her next move as the water disappeared completely to reveal her form, her katana now resheathed behind her back.

Without hesitation, she charged towards him. Her glowing fist came flying, and he slipped to the side, causing said fist to slam into the tree behind him. There was a loud crack as the trunk shattered, and Itachi could feel the pinprick of splinters piercing through the skin of his exposed arms.

Ignoring it, he spun around with a kick, which Sakura blocked with her armguard. He felt a snap of chakra at the contact, and quickly withdrew his leg before it could be affected in any way. His eyes went to her face to find that her features were set in grim concentration. She was clearly taking this battle seriously, and at this moment, he knew that she had no qualms about inflicting harm upon him, medic or not.

Perhaps it was time for some distraction.

He watched as she leapt up and descended upon him. Just as she was about to slice her glowing chakra scalpel down, he murmured, "You did not report me. Why?"

As he had predicted, her move faltered, and she vaulted back to land on her feet. There was a brief change of expression which betrayed her shock before she recomposed her features into one of detached disinterest. This expression did not suit her, he decided. She had always been expressive, full of emotion, and it displeased him that she now suppressed it, even though he understood that it was part of her current status as one of Leaf's ANBU. Perhaps that was why he had not expected her to be an ANBU, knowing what he had known of her character.

"I'm not sure what you're referring to," she told him once again, reaching back to unsheathe her blades.

"I have full access to the records. Konoha was unaware of my existence until Sai reported our encounter several months ago."

It was his perusal of the mission records which had led to his study of her personal one, and when he had done so, several anomalies had stood out in addition to the gaps of information. Although he understood why there was a gap in those records, those anomalies did not make sense. And these were the items which he wished to delve deeper into, only he knew that she was probably the only who could answer his questions. The records had been vague on purpose, he was certain of it.

He added quietly, "Still, it is possible that there is something missing from those records."

Instead of a verbal response, she charged again at him, head on.

"A foolish move, Sakura," he remarked casually as he, too, brought his katana forward.

There was a flicker of something in her eyes at his use of her given name, but she recomposed herself rapidly. "Don't speak so soon," she snapped.

Itachi kept his attention on her as she neared him. The air sizzled with a brief flare of chakra, and then right before his eyes, she seemingly split into three persons.

His lips tilted slightly when he deduced what must have happened. She had cast a very brief genjutsu, too brief for one to react before it was over, and performed a shadow clone technique in that short span of time, resulting in the three persons in front of him. And with her proficiency at chakra control, it was difficult to identify which one was real. Her clones possessed chakra patterns so similar to the real kunoichi that it made it almost impossible to tell them apart.

But not impossible, he thought as he activated his Sharingan. Fortunately, he was still able to discern chakra patterns with the use of his bloodline limit.

The three clones fanned out away from each other, and were now approaching him from different directions. He would dispose of the clones first, but he knew that it required him to 'kill' them. Their previous battle had taught him not to underestimate her clones, and that they would not disappear until the killing blow was inflicted.

He streaked to the right, intercepting a clone before she could reach him, and putting some distance between them and the rest. They exchanged several hits before Itachi found an opening to drive his katana into her. The clone immediately sputtered, eyes widening in shock just before she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Shannaro!"

He spun around to find her descending upon him, her katana glowing with chakra. From her chakra level, he deduced that it was the second clone.

"It is not wise to announce your presence, kunoichi," he told the clone.

Her katana met his with a loud metallic clang before they slid off each other. She spun around swiftly with another downward swipe of her blade, and this time, he sidestepped it, ensuring that his hand flitted in front of her field of vision.

Let's see if she recalled this particular technique.

She stilled momentarily, sucking in a sharp breath as his genjutsu took hold. However, much to his surprise, instead of reacting to it, she seemingly shook it off, as evidenced by the sudden clearing of her expression. It was unexpected.

And then she sheathed her katana and drove a fist into the ground, sending earth and rock exploding between them, forcing him backwards away from her.

"You dispelled the illusion," he commented as he landed a short distance away.

"It can be done," she answered stiffly.

A small smile lifted the corner of his lips. "The dispelling technique is remarkable."

She said nothing to that.

His fingers sped through a series of seals. "Katon: Housenka-no-jutsu."

A series of fireballs exploded towards her, and he watched with interest as she countered with a large earth barrier, a high-level jutsu. Her file had listed her primary elements as wind and earth, but it lacked details. From what he could see, although her chakra-enhanced taijutsu made her a formidable close-range fighter, her elemental jutsu gave her the ability to execute long-range defenses and attacks.

He could not discount her as a suspect, though it was highly unlikely that she was the one who had assassinated all those ANBU operatives. There had to be a motive for such an act, and the usual ones of revenge, power and greed simply did not fit her profile.

Still, it was time to dispose of this clone. The real Sakura was still in hiding, and he wished to draw her out. With that thought, he executed a string of seals.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan-no-jutsu."

The ground rumbled, and then split just under Sakura's earth barrier, breaking it. A long white column of water exploded upwards, taking the shape of a dragon. Unprotected by her demolished barrier, Sakura vaulted backwards to avoid it, but the water dragon pursued her.

Itachi raced forward just as the water dragon slammed into her, throwing her to the ground. His katana unsheathed, he scanned her form once again to ensure that it was indeed a clone. Her eyes were wide when she looked up, and for a fraction of a second, he hesitated.

And then he drove his katana into her chest, watching as her body jerked and she gasped, her hands coming up to grasp the sharp blade. Blood seeped from her palms down the gleaming blade, to pool at her chest where more blood was rushing up.

Pulling his blood-coated katana out of her, he waited for the clone to dispel itself, to burst into a cloud of smoke.

However, it did not happen.

Instead, the kunoichi on the ground before him smirked, her bloodstained lips tilting up triumphantly as he stared at her, instinctively knowing that something had gone wrong. His suspicion was confirmed when right before his enhanced eyesight, the full flow of her chakra returned, revealing her as the real Sakura, not the clone.

A hacking cough brought forth a spray of viscous red blood, and Itachi felt an icy sensation running through his veins as the droplets marred her cheeks. He had just stabbed his blade through the real Sakura. Suddenly, he had to forcibly ignore the images which suddenly appeared in his mind, of another time and place, where blood of his relatives had reddened his weapon.

Her smug expression remained as she rattled out, "Guess you got the right one, huh?"

His eyes narrowed at her careless words, even as he reached out for her. In a voice that sounded strained to his own ears, he told her, "You need a medic, Sakura…"

A slight shift in the air behind him was the only warning he had, and he knew instantly that he had been tricked.

Itachi flung himself to the side, but the swift burning pain in his left arm told him that the hit had connected. Rolling to his feet, he straightened to find the second Sakura, the clone he had mistakenly identified as the real one, dissipating in a cloud of smoke, taking the katana stained with his blood with her.

He flicked a glance to find a long, deep gash down his arm, just below his ANBU tattoo. A quick inspection of the wound informed him that the blade had made a clean slice through his muscle tissues. It had been close, for if he had been just a fraction of a second slower, the blade would have pierced through his back into his chest.

Having dispelled her clone, the real Sakura, the one he had stabbed, was now breathing raggedly, lying on her side in the grass as her wound continued to bleed. Not knowing if he should be incensed by her foolhardiness or admire the fact that she had managed to catch him off guard, he strode towards her, ignoring the pain of his own injury. Her current state concerned him greatly.

Sakura's eyes, now slightly glazed, shifted to the slash in his arm. "Superficial wound," she murmured.

"Disappointed?" he asked mildly as he reached out with his uninjured arm to pull her hand away from her chest.

"Don't," she protested, weakly pushing his arm away. "I'll deal with it."

He scanned his eyes over her, and his Sharingan told him that her chakra level was too low to heal any major wounds. Ignoring her protests, he reached out with his right arm to haul her upright, and then onto his shoulder.

"W-what are you doing? Let me down," she hissed. "I can handle things myself."

"You are unable to walk to the hospital," he told her calmly, even though the sensation of her warm blood trickling down his bare arm was discomfiting.

"I can walk," she ground out, albeit weakly. "I don't need your help."

Ignoring her protest, he told her, "Do not struggle."

With that, he began to make his way across the training grounds. The moment he did so, he realized that it was unwise to travel by foot to the hospital. The pain in his left arm was intensifying, exacerbated by the effort he was exerting in carrying her. Their progress would be too slow. Teleportation jutsu was the only option he had left, even though it knew that it was risky. He simply had to make it fast, and once at the hospital, Sakura could be tended to properly.

However, before he could execute the technique, three ANBU members appeared at the training grounds. Itachi recognized them as a squad, of which, two had been sent off before the sparring assessment.

Ishida Kazuki, the blue-haired hot-headed ANBU was at the front, wearing an angry expression. Right behind him was his female colleague, Yasui Eiko, a long-haired red-headed kunoichi who appeared to be just as incensed, but hiding it better. Behind them, moving at a more sedate pace, was their team leader, Shinozuka Aoi, a purple-haired shinobi who was currently had both his arms bandaged, courtesy of his earlier sparring. Shinozuka looked resigned as he rushed after his teammates.

"Uchiha!" Ishida Kazuki snarled, stalking towards him, his fury written in every line of his body.

Sakura stiffened in his arm. "Let me down, she hissed.

Itachi simply tightened his hold. Maintaining his placid expression, he raised a brow at the shinobi who had now halted in front of him. "Ishida," he returned smoothly.

Black eyes flashing, Ishida snapped, "You took me and Yasui Eiko off active duty. What the fuck is that for?"

"What?" came a surprised exclamation from the kunoichi on his shoulder.

Ignoring her, Itachi pinned an uncompromising look on the blue-haired shinobi. "Watch your words, Ishida. Or do you wish to be stripped of your shinobi status as well?"

Ishida's face reddened, and beside him, his female teammate, Yasui paled at the threat. Itachi knew that they were not pleased that they had been taken off the active ANBU roster, but their responses to his first test had sealed their fate.

Earlier, he had told Ishida, Yasui and four others who had disagreed with Naruto to report to the Shichidaime Hokage. And Itachi knew that once they were there, Hatake Kakashi would have informed them that they were no longer on active duty until further notice.

That first test, standing in silence for so many hours, had simply been an assessment to see who could think for themselves and stand up for it, instead of simply blindly following orders. ANBU were not mindless shinobi. They were elite shinobi who were expected to perform their best to serve Konoha, but they must be capable of independent thoughts without being insubordinate. There could be times when squad leaders or the Hokage were unavailable to give orders, and at such times, they had to act in Konoha's best interest of their own volition.

And that was the trait missing from those six ANBU operatives. When he had taken them aside to ask why they had chosen to disagree with the blond jinchuuriki, their responses had been that they would follow orders without question. It had been clear to Itachi then that they had simply said so because that was the answer they thought he wished to hear.

So, as far as Itachi was concerned, they were a risk to Konoha until they understood why they were taken off active duty.

"I apologize, Taichou."

Itachi shifted his gaze to the owner of the respectful voice. It was Shinozuka Aoi, the leader of this particular ANBU squad, and the only member who was not taken off active duty.

"What the hell, Aoi! Don't fucking apologize to the bastard!" Ishida spat.

Itachi could feel Sakura tense on his shoulder.

"Shut up, Kazuki. You'll get us into more trouble," their female teammate snapped as she clamped a hand around Ishida's arm. "Let's just go."

Shaking her arm away, Ishida glared at him once more, and then turned on his heel and strode away. Yasui followed close behind him, her figure just as tense, leaving their squad leader with him and Sakura.

Shinozuka's eyes went to the kunoichi on his shoulders. "Sakura? That's you? Can I help, Taichou?"

"Yes!" Sakura responded quickly, just as Itachi shook his head, and said, "That would not be necessary."

Shinozuka glanced back and forth between them, his eyes landing a little longer on Sakura. There was also a thoughtful look on his face, a fact that Itachi noted with a twinge of displeasure. He did not like the way Shinozuka was eyeing Sakura so intently. Or the familiar manner in which he had addressed her.

The kunoichi shifted restlessly on his shoulder. "Taichou, Aoi can help me to the hospital. I'm sure you have other things to do," Sakura told him, her tone firm.

"I will take you there. It is where I'm headed," he pointed out, his tone final.

Shinozuka nodded slowly. "Alright then. See you later, Sakura."

Itachi could feel the kunoichi sigh in resignation. "See you, Aoi."

The purple-haired shinobi inclined his head at him, and then turned to walk away. When Itachi began to move again, Sakura began to flinch. She was clearly in pain, and had been hiding it during the conversation with the other ANBU operatives.

Brows furrowed in concern, he instructed, "Keep still, or you will worsen it."

"If you'd just let me down, I'd be fine," she ground out, but her forced tone betrayed just how much pain she was in.

Deciding that she was just being stubborn, he decided that they should leave now. Besides, his own injuries were beginning to throb rather painfully. Shifting her slightly, he freed his hand and quickly performed a teleportation jutsu.

"This will be disorientating," he informed her.

She tensed. "What-"

With a cloud of smoke, he felt his entire body pulled sharply, and then the smoke cleared to reveal the front entrance of the hospital.

He shifted his gaze to Sakura, frowning slightly when he noticed that she was now unconscious. This was why it was risky to teleport a person with major injuries. Not wasting any time, he strode up to the entrance door and entered. He was immediately surrounded by the scent of antiseptic and the bustling chaos which was the norm for the Konoha hospital. It occurred to him then that like every building in the village, this was a new building, rebuilt after Pein's destruction of Konoha, and therefore, completely different from the one he had known more than a decade ago.

He scanned the area, and his eyes soon landed on a brown-haired medic who was absorbed in the clipboard held in her hands. Although she was not looking in his direction, he recognized her.

"Rin-san," he called out.

The medic tensed, obviously surprised by his voice, and then quickly spun around. "Itsu-" she broke off immediately when she saw him, her expression twisted in confusion.

He waited for her to come to terms with what she was seeing. The furrow between her brows deepened as she continued to stare at him. The confusion mingled with surprise soon gave way to comprehension when she took in his hitai-ate and ANBU uniform. And then she finally turned her attention to the woman on his shoulder.

The shift in her countenance was immediate. "Follow me," she instructed firmly. "She's losing a lot of blood."

He nodded, and then walked behind Rin as she led them to an examination room. Once inside, she gestured for him to place Sakura on the padded examination table. He lowered the unconscious kunoichi carefully on the sterile surface, frowning slightly at her pallor. She was truly foolish to have done what she had done, even though it displayed a certain cunning on her side. Still, he had not expected her to take things so far. But then again, she had always had the tendency to do the unexpected.

He found himself nudged aside by the older woman, who was now beginning to strip the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura simply lay limp on the surface, not reacting at all, and his unease grew.

"You'd better go now, Itsu-" she broke off again, and then shook her head. "Uchiha-san." Expelling a long huff, she told him, "Get that wound on your arm seen to. It looks deep. And don't think you're off the hook. You'd have some explaining to do later, once I'm done with her."

His eyes went to the pink-haired kunoichi. The urge to remain was strong. However, knowing that his presence would be more of a hindrance, Itachi inclined his head at the medic and left the room.

000

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000

When Sakura peeled her eyelids open, she felt as if she was one whole mass of ache and pain. Her chest hurts, her eyes felt gritty, her throat felt parched and the rest of her just felt… limp.

After a while, she finally managed to focus. That was when she realized that she was lying in the bed in one of the recovery rooms in Konoha hospital. And across the room, next to the shelves, stood a brown-haired medic who was perusing her charts intently.

"Rin?" Sakura croaked as she tried to sit up.

Rin spun towards her. "What are you doing? Lie down!" she cried out in alarm. "I've just finished closing that wound."

Sakura lowered herself back onto the pillow, wincing in pain as she did so. Looking down her body, she could see the thick padding of bandages around her chest under the standard issue hospital gown.

"How are you feeling?" Rin asked as she sat down at the edge of the bed, offering a small plastic cup of water to her.

Taking the cup, Sakura sipped the water gratefully before she answered, "Drained."

Rin shook her head disapprovingly. "Your chakra level was low and you had a hole through your chest. Missed your heart, fortunately."

"I do try not to get killed during sparring sessions," Sakura told her with a weak chuckle.

"You got this during training?" Rin asked incredulously. "Isn't it a little extreme?"

Sakura shrugged, not wanting to elaborate. She had taken a risk, and it looked as if she had not been fast enough to follow through. But at least the whole thing had confirmed something for her.

Her strategy had _almost_ worked.

She had known that battling with him face to face without some kind of strategy would have meant certain failure. So, while the rest had been sparring, she had gone through what she knew about Itachi in the attempt to come up with a way to win. In the process, it had occurred to her that in the few fight she had seen him in, Uchiha Itachi had avoided inflicting major injuries on his opponents. Their last fight, when her clone had stabbed herself, had shown her how surprised he had been at the move. That, and the fact that he had allowed the rest of the ANBU squad to live, hinted at the fact that he also avoided unnecessary killings.

Her expression darkened. Discounting the massacre, of course.

And Sasuke, but that was indirect.

Although it had been a little extreme, she had done what she had done to catch him off guard, so that she could find an opening to attack. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity she had created for herself was too small, or perhaps she was simply too slow compared to him. Either way, she had failed, she thought in disgust. And also, she had not anticipated that her chakra level would dip so low that she could not heal her own wound. Then again, those life-like bunshin of hers used up a lot of chakra, let alone two of them.

Still, worse come to worse, she could have activated one of the Shinjutama embedded within her. It was similar to Tsunade's Souzou Saisei technique, but hers was a modified version. A smaller scale, and hence, a lot less risky than her late shishou's. Activating it would have given her enough chakra to at least heal herself.

At least she had managed to wound him. She had injured his left arm, she thought, recalling the hazy memory of a deep gash marring his otherwise blemish-less arm, thick red blood seeping from it. That sort of injury was surely nothing to him. Still, she could not help but wonder if he had gotten a medic to see to it, or had gone off to tend to it on his own.

Such injuries should be seen to before it got infected. Not that she cared if he did, of course. Just that the medic within her could not abide by shinobi who avoided hospitals when they shouldn't.

"We need to talk."

Sakura jumped, jolted out of her contemplations. "Huh?"

Rin gave her a pointed look. "I said, we need to talk."

"About?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Nakamura Itsuki."

She tensed at the name.

Obviously noticing her reaction, Rin grimaced. "I take it you knew him then. It was a bit of a shock to see him in the hospital with you bleeding all over him. With the uniform and all, I finally figured that he must be the new ANBU captain everyone's been talking about since yesterday." After a short pause, she asked, "You knew who he was? Back in Spring Country?"

Sakura closed her eyes as she exhaled slowly. "No."

Rin looked thoughtful. "I didn't recognize him, either. But then again, I left the village years before the Uchiha massacre. But I should have known. He has the Uchiha eyes."

"I was so stupid," Sakura muttered.

"Why?"

She opened her eyes to slide a dry look at the older woman. "Because I didn't recognize him. I was suspicious at first, but I kept thinking it was coincidence because Uchiha Itachi was dead."

"He looked different then," Rin remarked with a sigh. "It's strange that he's allowed back here in such a position, especially taking into account his missing nin status and the clan massacre issue. I must ask Kakashi about this. I'm sure he knows what's going on."

"I tried, but he's not telling me anything."

Rin smiled at her, eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll make the Copy-Nin talk. You just wait."

Sakura had to laugh. Rin was probably right. As close-mouthed as Kakashi was, Rin obviously held a special place in his heart and if anyone could get anything out of him, it would be her.

"Wait… He wasn't undercover or anything like that in Spring Country, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "I doubt it. Everyone thought he was dead. Killed by Sa-Sasuke."

Rin's eyes gentled. "Right."

She lowered her eyes, not wanting the other woman to see her distress. It was hard not to be anguished each time she thought of how life had ended for her ex-teammate. Especially considering that she might have been able to stop it, if only she had been stronger back then. If only she had known the truth.

If only…

And suddenly, Itachi's words filtered into her mind, like a whisper she could not remove.

"_One day, you will understand that Sasuke is where he is now because of his own choices."_

Her expression hardened. Who was he to talk? The whole thing had started off with the massacre, which led to Sasuke's obsession to gain power. Then when Sasuke had finally exacted revenge, somehow, someway, Itachi had managed to rise from the dead, something which was no doubt akin to a kick in the face for Sasuke. And last but not least were Itachi's actions, which had led to Sasuke's capture by Root.

No. Sasuke had made the choices he had made because of a certain person, and he was where he was now because of that very same person.

Uchiha Itachi.

"Sakura?"

Rin's voice broke into her less-than-pleasant thoughts, and Sakura glanced up to find the older woman watching her intently. "I'm okay, Rin. Just a little out of it, that's all."

Rin nodded, and then stood up. "Well, I'll see what I can find out from Kakashi. And if it's not some top-secret village security issue, I'll let you know."

Sakura grinned. "If it's a top-secret village security issue, I doubt you can persuade Kakashi to tell you." She gave Rin a meaningful, teasing look. "Even if he's infatuated with you."

A blush rising to her cheeks, Rin planted her hands on her hips. "Stop saying that! Why does everyone say that?"

Leaning forward slightly, she teased, "So, he made a move yet?"

Rin huffed, and then quickly walked to the door, throwing over her shoulder, "I'm not talking to you about this."

Sakura chuckled as the door closed behind the embarrassed woman. Slowly, her chuckles died down as her current circumstances came back to her. With a sigh, she turned her eyes in the direction of the window.

With her performance, she doubted that she had earned the one week reprieve from Uchiha Itachi. So that meant that the moment she was released from hospital, she would have to see him again.

Her dejected groan echoed throughout the room.

000

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000

Propped up against the pillows behind him in the hospital bed, Itachi concluded his perusal of the pages of medical report on his lap. The medic, Mogusa had completed them several hours ago, and had brought them to him while he recuperated from his injury.

The findings had confirmed that the seventeen ANBU operatives he had identified earlier could be separated from the rest in this second elimination phase. They were all close-range specialists and their sparring opponents' wounds were not consistent with what was found on the dead ANBU's bodies. This narrowed down the possible list of suspects to thirty-three.

He would have to report to the Shichidaime Hokage tomorrow with the list.

Gathering the papers into a neat stack, he returned them to the large brown folder they had arrived in. Setting it aside, he glanced out of the window. It was still dark, but he was not sleepy even though he should be.

Within him was a feeling of something undone, something unresolved. It was most likely the cause of his inability to sleep, and he knew exactly what it was. Or rather, who.

Sakura.

He deliberated the wisdom of approaching her in her hospital room at this hour. She would not be pleased to see him, but such a thing would not affect his decision. The kunoichi would remain adverse to his attention for a while still. He simply wished to see if she was healed.

Mind made up, he swung his feet off the bed, ignoring the twinge of pain in his left arm which told him that the wound required more time to heal, and walked to the door. A night shift medic was in the corridor when he stepped out of his room, but her wide-eyed stare told him that she would not force him to return to his room.

Sakura would not have hesitated to do so, and she would have physically forced him to return if the need arose.

The emergence of that thought was so sudden, and so true that he had to smile slightly in amusement. A gasp from the night-shift medic broke his chain of thought, and he glanced at her to find her looking even more stunned.

Deciding that despite her odd behavior, she was his best source of information, he asked, "Where is Haruno Sakura?"

"H-Harun-" The medic broke off, and then she blinked rapidly. "I… uh… Her room is one floor down, I think."

"Thank you."

Inwardly musing the idiosyncrasies of females in general, he walked past the unmoving medic and made his way to the stairwell. Once he was on the correct floor, he scanned the charts hung outside the doors for her name and soon found it. There was no light under her door, he noted, so perhaps she was asleep.

Pushing the door open, he stepped into the room. His eyes immediately went to the figure under the covers in the bed.

The moonlight shone through the window, bathing her form in an ethereal glow. She was asleep, with a curled hand tucked under one cheek. The color had returned to her cheeks, he was pleased to note. A small smile played at the corner of his lips as he watched her, recalling how he had often done so in the past.

It was not long before her innate shinobi senses told her that she was being watched, and he remained unmoving as her eyelids began to flutter. Soon, the lids lifted to reveal a pair of glazed emerald eyes.

For a single moment, there was a gentle smile on her lips as her sleepy gaze landed on him. His breath hitched. The look was so familiar, and it brought forth so many memories that he found himself unable to react.

"Itsuki-"

Her whisper broke off suddenly, and her gaze sharpened, telling him that she was fully awake now. Something inside his chest twisted when he realized that for a moment, she had thought of him as Nakamura Itsuki, the civilian persona he had adopted all those years ago. The smile she had worn earlier was for Itsuki, not him. Not for Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi frowned inwardly as he processed the information. Despite the names, both Nakamura Itsuki and Uchiha Itachi were him. As Nakamura Itsuki, aside from living the life of a civilian, he had remained true to himself.

Sakura clearly disagreed.

He watched silently as she sat up slowly, her wary eyes not leaving him. She did not trust him, he decided with a stab of displeasure. He knew from experience that he would have to earn it. Furthermore, he knew that unlike the last time, it would be very difficult to gain her trust the second time round.

Deciding that it was best to keep things on a professional level at the moment, for he knew that it was something that would somewhat ease her tension, he greeted, "Haruno."

"Taichou," she said curtly. "Is there something you need?"

He was about to enquire about her wound, but considering that she was able to sit up unaided, it was clear that she was healing well. So, instead, he told her, "The risk you've taken earlier was unnecessary."

She arched a brow. "You're referring to the assessment, I assume. I disagree. It was the best strategy I could devise at that time."

He inclined his head in agreement. "Yes. However, in this instance, the risk was disproportionate to the situation. It was merely an assessment. Not a life and death situation."

"I like to take things seriously, Taichou," she replied in a clipped tone.

Realizing that he had to drive the point in, he asked, "What is your primary role in ANBU?"

She stared at him in silence for a while, seemingly attempting to discern what was behind his question. He simply waited. After all, he was not in a rush to be elsewhere. And from her reluctance to answer, he knew that she was aware of where he was leading the conversation. She, of all people, knew him best, after all.

"A medic nin," she finally replied.

"I understand that a medic nin's training includes a module on defense and avoidance of injuries."

There was a slight shift in her expression, and her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Yes."

"And yet, you ignored that during the assessment."

"It was different," she returned stubbornly, with a challenging tilt to her chin.

He felt a rise of something akin to anticipation within him. They used to engage in many of these sorts of conversations in the past, where both of them debated a topic from opposing sides. This was one of the aspects of their relationship which he recalled fondly. Until this moment, he had not realized that he had missed it. She had kept her distance yesterday, clearly suppressing her retorts. But that had clearly changed now. Perhaps it was because no one else was present.

"You have been trained thusly, I assume. As with all medics."

"Yes, but not every medic nin is the same," she pointed out tersely.

Choosing his words carefully, he asked, "Why should you be the exception?"

She narrowed her eyes in obvious affront, and then took a deep breath. "Medic nins are trained to avoid injuries so that they can remain safe to heal their team members. I didn't have anyone depending on me to heal them yesterday."

"And what if you're required to heal yourself?" he returned smoothly. "You would allow yourself to die during an internal session of sparring and deprive Konoha of a talented medic?"

There was a flash of surprise across her features at his words, before she quickly recomposed herself. "What makes you think I can't heal myself?"

"Your chakra level was too low," he pointed out, but at the same time, he could not help but wonder what she had up her sleeve.

Her confident smirk confirmed that there was something he did not know about her. "If you'd let me be, I would have healed myself. But you insisted on teleporting me, which, by the way, is a dangerous thing to do to someone with a chest injury."

"You're able to replenish your chakra levels?" he asked with interest.

"Didn't my records tell you everything you need to know, Taichou?" she asked instead, a little snidely.

"Hm. Perhaps your records are in need of updating. There are… gaps within."

Her lips thinned, but she said nothing else. The kunoichi knew that he had the seniority and rank to order her to answer him. But that would be too easy, and he relished the challenge of persuading her to give him the information of her own free will. Even though at the moment, it appeared that such a thing would not occur in the near future.

"Still, this is not the appropriate time to address such matters."

He could almost hear her sigh of relief at his words, which made him wonder what else she was hiding from him. It would be interesting to find out, and he had a feeling that he would savor the process.

At the moment, however, there was something he wished to test.

From her reactions to him in the past two days, it was clear that she was still affected by him. But just what was the nature of it? Was it simply hatred now? Or was she still attracted to him at some level? He wished to know, for it would dictate his future strategy where she was concerned.

He held her gaze as he walked to the side of her bed, taking in how she immediately stiffened at his approach. And then he bent lower, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders, bringing them even closer. She seemed to sink further back into the mattress, her eyes rounded in disbelief.

Her breath hitched as he descended so close that he could feel the caress of her warm breath against his lips. He could sense the tightly coiled tension in her, and yet, she did not attempt to push him away.

He could kiss her now, to taste what he had not tasted for so many years, but it was too soon. There was another thing he needed to do now, a question he had to ask.

And so, he asked.

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

000

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000


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 4**

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

Itachi's question snapped Sakura out of that surreal, trance-like state she had been in. And in a blink of an eye, she turned her face away from him, ignoring the light brush of the tip of his nose against her cheek as she did so. Ignoring the unfamiliar touch of his soft hair against her skin and the masculine, warm scent he emanated.

Ignoring how her heart was thudding unnaturally fast and the way she felt warm all over just because Uchiha Itachi so close to her.

She glared at the shadows against the white wall at the far end of the room, refusing to look at him. What was she thinking? Hell, what was _he_ thinking? Did he think now that he was back in Konoha that he could pick off-

Wait! Her eyes narrowed as comprehension dawned.

If he had wanted to kiss her, he would have done so without asking. The fact that he had asked, and now that she thought about it, in that irritatingly amused tone of his, meant that he was just playing with her. Messing with her head. The way Naruto had accused him of doing with Sasuke.

And immediately, she was suffused by a flood of anger.

Hell, she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had riled her. He had some nerve, the bastard, playing with her like this. But she would not let him win. She would not allow him to fool her again. Hands clenched, she turned back to face him. Even in the dim light, she could see the hint of amusement in those obsidian orbs of his, which confirmed her suspicion and made her even more irate.

"No," she replied, addressing the question in a flat tone. "That would be inappropriate, Taichou," she added icily.

"Aa."

She suppressed the urge to lash out at him, to punch the amusement from him. But the hit would probably not find its mark, and she refused to allow him the pleasure of humiliating her further.

"It would be inappropriate," he murmured, and then added suddenly, "Despite our past."

She froze at his words, and something in her stomach dipped. No, she did not want to go anywhere _near _a conversation about their past. And so, she did not offer him a response. Instead, she shifted her eyes to the cup of water beside her bed and then reached for it. Ignoring him, she slowly sipped the water, barely feeling the coolness of the liquid flowing down her throat, and allowed the silence to stretch.

And stretch it did.

It was him who broke the silence first. "You do not wish to speak of it."

Way to state the obvious, she thought sarcastically.

"Why?" he pressed calmly.

The man clearly had no intention of letting the topic drop, much to her annoyance. He would prod and prod until she broke. But she could bend, right? "There is nothing to talk about," she finally said, her voice tight.

"We clearly disagree on that point."

There was no mistaking what he was trying to do. By the way he watched for her reaction, it was clear that he was still trying to push her into admitting something. Well, she was not about to give him the pleasure of knowing that he affected her in any way. At least, not outwardly. She replaced the cup of water back on the bedside table, hearing a light click of glass against wood, before she turned to give him a flat look.

In a calm voice, she told him, "You outrank me now. So, the way I see it, there are two things you could do. One, you could drop the topic and we carry on professionally. Or, you could pull rank and order me to answer your questions." Her gaze turned stony. "And then punish me for insubordination when I refuse to answer."

"I see."

Did he now? By his mocking tone, it was clear that he thought that this entire situation was funny. Hell it was! He had no idea how his return to Konoha affected her. He had no idea that his return would have _repercussions_ that she did not even want to think about now. Because if she did, she would start thinking about Ryo and Suna and the fact that she had no idea where to go from there.

She closed her eyes as she suppressed the urge to groan. There was one route she could take, she supposed, but she had not wanted to consider it. But she had to admit that she might have to, if Itachi kept on focusing his attention on her. It would be the last resort, though, because she really did not want to leave her friends in Konoha. Not permanently.

But what if it was not permanent. What if she just took a few days off to recompose herself, to remove herself from this entire situation in the hope that she could find a solution for her predicament? The idea had its appeal.

"Why did you join ANBU?"

Her eyes snapped open in surprise at the unexpected question. Giving him a frown, she returned, "How is this relevant to anything?"

"I wasn't aware that my questions had to be relevant to any particular topic," he pointed out, lips tilting again. "I believe this is called… conversation."

Well, she did not want to have a conversation with him. But she knew that he would just stand there and prod unless she answered. And at least, for this question, she had a convenient answer.

"Konoha was short of medical staff for ANBU." She shrugged. "Besides, we all have to do our part in this war."

"Aa. So it says on your ANBU application."

Why the hell was he bothering her like this if he already knew the answer, then? She ground her teeth together, refusing to let her emotions rise to the surface. So, in a cold voice, she said, "Of course it does. I wrote it myself."

"Is that the true reason, I wonder?"

"What other reason could there be?"

"To take on the task of a hunter-nin, perhaps," he suggested mildly. "To locate and apprehend missing nins. And perhaps to kill them?"

Her eyes widened. "That's not why!" she shot back heatedly before she could stop herself.

Her indignant outrage seemed to amuse him, for he smirked. Glowering at him now, she kept her lips pressed tight together, not wanting to say another word.

"You cannot avoid the past," he finally told her in a quiet voice.

He would know best about such things, now wouldn't he? But that was beside the point. The point was, she wanted him out of this room. Away from her.

So she said, "It is late, and I want to rest."

He stared at her for a moment, and then inclined his head, eyes not leaving hers. "Then rest well, Haruno."

And with that, he turned and walked away from her. In the process, she caught sight of the stark blackness of the ANBU tattoo on his left arm, something which made her lips thin when she recalled how unblemished that arm had been all those years ago. If the tattoo had been there then, she would have questioned his identity. Even as blinded as she was by her own stupidity and infatuation with him, something like an ANBU tattoo on a civilian's arm would have sent alarm bells ringing in her head.

Then Itachi left through the door, closing it soundlessly behind him, while she continued to mull over the issue.

His ANBU tattoo was newly inked, but that did not explain how he had gotten rid of it in the first place. The process of creating it was unlike the usual civilian tattoo, and it was almost impossible to remove. Itachi must have been desperate to hide his identity if he had gone through all the trouble to remove it.

Still, it was no longer any of her business. Hell, he could do whatever he wanted so long as he stayed away from her. But somehow, she knew that she was asking for the impossible. Because for now, Uchiha Itachi seemed intent on invading her personal space.

Sakura let out a long hiss of breath.

This was, like Shikamaru had always said, troublesome.

000

* * *

000

Troublesome.

Kakashi could not help but have that particular word echoing in his head in Shikamaru's droning voice. However, in this particular situation, he found it strangely appropriate. Perhaps the genius had a point when it came to women. Because right now, he swore that he was about to keel over from a combination of suppressed nosebleed and the fear that he would do something that he would really, really regret.

Rin was there across his wooden desk, waiting for him to say something. Now that was not the issue, not really. Because Rin always visited him ever since she had returned to Konoha permanently, on the Hokage's orders, of course.

The issue was what she was wearing at this very moment.

He simply could not tear his eyes away from the deep cleavage visible through the dark blue mesh top she was currently wearing, clearly visible under her unbuttoned white medic cloak. And it did not help that she was leaning towards him from across the table, with her arms propping her up against his desk. It displayed her abundant assets quite spectacularly.

Wait. Had the woman been traipsing around the hospital the whole day in that get-up? The thought annoyed him, and he knew exactly why.

"So, what do you say?"

Kakashi blinked. "Huh?"

Fingers snapped under his nose, forcing him to jerk his eyes up to find Rin scowling at him. Her cheeks were tinged with pink when she said tersely, "Eyes up here, Kakashi. When are you going to stop being such a pervert? You're the Hokage now, for goodness sakes. Act like it."

"Sorry," he muttered, dragging his hand down his face. Leave it to Rin to slap that in his face. Where was the respect for one's Hokage? Forcing his eyes to meet hers, he asked, "So, what were you saying just now?"

Her scowl deepened. "I said, do you want to join us for drinks this Saturday? We're heading to the new bar. The one called Red."

Kakashi glanced down at the paperwork he had yet to finish, his nose twitching in protest at the scent of paper and ink. Would he ever finish them, anyway? It seemed that ever since he had taken on the leadership of the village, he had not had a paperwork-free day. Of course, it did not help that his primary assistant, or rather advisor, was even lazier than he was.

He frowned in contemplation. Perhaps he should get someone else to help him. The work could be delegated, after all. Preferably to someone hardworking and intelligent… with brown eyes and brown hair and an hourglass figure to break the boring monotony of the office scenery. Someone like Rin.

"Kakashi!"

"Okay, I'll be there."

"Took you long enough to answer." She huffed. "Well, I'll see you there then. Around ten?"

"Sure."

"And by the way, you asked for me to tell you whenever your ex-students land themselves in the hospital. Well… Sakura was admitted last night."

Kakashi frowned, knowing that she must have been sent there after the ANBU exercise yesterday. "How bad?"

"Blade through her chest. Just missed her heart."

His brows drew closer. That was very careless of Sakura. Perhaps he had misjudged how affected she was by her new ANBU captain. Still, it was partially the Uchiha's fault. The man simply refused to release the truth about his status and the fact that the Uchiha massacre had been ordered years ago by the Konoha council.

Well, at least Naruto knew the truth now, more or less. Kakashi almost winced when he recalled just how distressed the blond had been yesterday when he had barged into this office, demanding confirmation of what Itachi had told him. Kakashi had told Naruto what he wanted to know, and watched as the blond digested the information unhappily.

In the end, he had decided that the best thing to do was to send Naruto out on a mission, one which would keep him out of Konoha for a while. He doubted that it would affect Itachi's investigations, for Naruto would never betray his comrades, let alone assassinate them in such a cowardly manner.

Still, Naruto was the least of his worries now. Kakashi knew that the blond would come to terms with things. He just needed some time to think it over. Kakashi knew that Naruto was intelligent enough to arrive at the correct conclusion. The blond was meant to be his successor, after all.

"Are you going to see her?" Rin asked, breaking his train of thought.

"When will she be discharged?" he asked.

"Tomorrow, if everything goes well."

He nodded, deciding that he would pay a visit to his favorite student later that day.

"Well, I'd better get back to work now." She waved her hand at him. "Catch you later."

"Bye, Rin."

Eyes up, Kakashi, he reminded himself as the medic presented her back to him, walking to the door. It was only when the door had clicked shut that he exhaled out loud.

Sometime, he could not quite believe that Rin was back in Konoha, after thinking that she was dead for so many years. He had not even suspected that she had been one of those who had been sent out of Konoha to provide support just in case of emergency.

It was truly fortunate, though, that she had been. Because without her, Tsunade might not have remained alive long enough for Sakura to stumble upon her and help heal her. And without that, Tsunade could not have led the attack on Danzou and his men, and finally wrestled back the reins from the old shinobi.

A knock sounded on his door, making him look up.

Recognizing his visitor's unique signature, Kakashi called out, "Come in."

Uchiha Itachi entered and closed the door behind him. "Hokage-sama."

Kakashi's eyes went to the thin file held in the Uchiha's hand, comprehending what it was. "Wait a moment."

He brought his hands together, and with a few rapid seals, secured the room against eavesdroppers. Such a measure was necessary, considering what was at stake here. It was only after the jutsu had taken effect that he turned to the silent ANBU captain, and gestured for him to speak.

The Uchiha took a few steps to the desk and placed the report on it. "My findings so far."

Kakashi nodded. "I've dismissed six of them from active duty. They're not happy. But at least we know it's not them."

"Aa. None of them are viable suspects. The suspect would not allow himself to stand out from the rest, the way they had done."

"I know." Kakashi looked down at the report. "The result from the second elimination phase is in here?"

Itachi inclined his head once. "Seventeen ANBU operatives to be cleared. They simply do not possess the particular abilities unique to our suspect."

"That leaves thirty-three, huh?" Kakashi deduced, flipping the report open without actually looking at it. "That narrows things down a little. What about your gut feelings? Do you suspect anyone in particular?"

"I'd rather not speculate, Hokage-sama."

But his choice of words was enough to tell Kakashi that Uchiha Itachi had someone in mind, or at least narrowed it further down than the thirty-three. Leaning back against his chair, he stared at the ANBU captain thoughtfully. He had not expected such a swift result, but then again, this was Uchiha Itachi. A genius who rivaled him in battle techniques, and perhaps rivaled Shikamaru in the brains department.

If he hadn't ended up as a missing nin, he could be sitting right here as the Hokage, Kakashi mused. However, with things the way they were, such a thing was certainly no longer advisable. Konoha would not accept a missing nin who had massacred his own clan, even though it was under the council's orders.

"Is there anything else, Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Have you finalized your plans for the next phase?"

"Yes. However, I'm holding back on it until later. It is too soon."

Understanding what the Uchiha was telling him, Kakashi nodded. "Make it look real, then." With a small smirk, he asked, "So, how do you find their performances so far?"

"Acceptable, but with room for improvement."

Why was he not surprised, Kakashi thought with no small amount of resignation. "Well, do whatever you need to fix it. Without killing them."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

But Kakashi allowed a smile to cross his lips once the Uchiha had left his office. Shikamaru was right once again, it seemed. Despite the misgivings he had when this plan had been hatched, it was clear now that Uchiha Itachi was just the person they needed at the moment to fix things after all.

000

* * *

000

"Yo!"

Sakura looked up to find a familiar figure at the door to her bland hospital room. It was still early, and even though his duties as a Hokage had curbed his tardiness a little, she was surprised to see him. Not to say that she was not pleased, of course.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she greeted with a wide smile. "What brings you here?"

"Isn't the Hokage allowed to wander around the hospital when he feels like it?" he returned casually as he walked up to her bed. His eyes stopped at her chest, and a thoughtful look crossed his face.

Resisting the urge to pull her blanket up to her chin to block his view of her bandaged form, she warned him, "You'd better not be ogling me."

His eyes snapped up to hers, looking a little bewildered. "What?" He blinked. "Oh… No, not ogling."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Really?"

"Where's the respect?" Kakashi exclaimed in an exasperated tone. "I'm the Hokage, you know?"

Her lips twitched. "So? That doesn't automatically give you the right to ogle your kunoichi."

He tapped his masked chin thoughtfully. "It doesn't?"

"No," she responded flatly.

"Ah, you reminded me of something."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What?"

"Something I discussed with Genma some time ago. About some changes to make the uniforms for kunoichi less… ah… restrictive. Besides, some of the possible designs could very well serve as a distraction to enemy forces. Males in particular."

An outraged gasp left her lips when she took in his meaning. "Don't you dare!" she threatened. "I swear, Kakashi. If you decide to make us dress like some Icha Icha porn-star, I'll personally make sure-"

Kakashi interjected her rant with a chuckle, waving a hand up and down. "Kidding, Sakura. Calm down."

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mou… Did you come here just to make fun of me?"

The expression in his eyes gentled, betraying his concern. "Want to make sure you haven't done too much damage to yourself, that's all."

"I'm alright. Rin healed me." Frowning slightly in concern, she asked, "Have you seen Naruto?"

He nodded. "I sent him out on a mission."

"Oh." That was surprising. "I thought we all have to stay in Konoha for this restructuring."

"Naruto needs to be away for a while." Kakashi asked, "It was a good sparring session, then, I take it?"

She really did not want to talk about it. "It was alright." Deciding to change the subject before Kakashi could ask for more details and chastise her further, she ventured, "I was thinking of taking a few days off."

Kakashi raised a brow. "Wouldn't have anything to do with a certain ANBU captain, would it?"

Sakura's chin tilted stubbornly. "Maybe," she admitted.

There was no need to deny it. After all, it was not as if she was hiding her animosity towards Itachi from her ex-sensei. Kakashi, of all people, should understand why she felt that way. Well, at least part of the reason why she felt that way. The Copy-Nin did not know the whole story, even though in the past when the topic had come up, she had caught a speculative gleam in his eyes. Sometimes she wondered what exactly he suspected.

The silver-haired man shook his head as he chuckled. "Taking such drastic actions already, huh, Sakura-chan? Where are you planning on running to?"

"I'm not running," she ground out sourly. Just making a strategic retreat. "It's just a few days off. Is it such a big deal? Besides, you owe me at least two months of personal days, the last I counted."

"Ah, that's true. So, you're not running then."

She simply gave him a baleful look.

"So where are you going on your… ah… vacation?" he asked amiably.

"Suna."

"Ah, I see. Same place as usual, then."

She gave him a pout. "I just want to see Ryo, Sensei. It's been almost a month since I last saw him."

"Missing your man already, Sakura-chan? Thought you can hold out longer than this." He adopted a thoughtful look which was clearly faked. "You lasted more than a month without him before, if I recall correctly."

She narrowed her eyes at him in mock anger. "So, are you going to release me or not?" she growled, cracking her knuckles.

Kakashi gave her an eye crinkle. "How can I deny such a gracious request from my favorite student?"

She grinned at his words. "Enough with the favorite student thing. I'm still not sure if I should believe you."

"Don't understand why you won't believe me. You're the prettiest of all my students. Anyway, you know Ryo can come here instead, right? That's why I gave him that leave-to-remain pass when you introduced us."

"I know. He was supposed to come next week and stay for a while." She sighed heavily, all the lightness she had felt with their earlier banter now gone. She hated to keep Ryo away from Konoha, but it had to be done. "But with this ANBU restructuring and training, I wouldn't have much time to spend with him. And I can't just leave him alone in the apartment. So I thought I'd visit him and explain why he'd better stay in Suna for a while."

"Remember not to go into details."

She waved his concern away. "I know, Kakashi. No mentioning anything sensitive to Ryo just in case it reaches the wrong ears. Foreign shinobi and all."

Kakashi's lips quirked. "Well, it's my job to remind you."

"Don't worry, Kakashi. I'll be careful of what I say." And then she raised a brow. "So, is that a yes, then? Can I leave? A week at the most."

"One week? That's all?"

She scrunched up her face. "I'm not allowed any strenuous activities these few days, until the wound heals completely. And neither are the rest of the injured ANBU. So I'm guessing there wouldn't be any major training these few days. I might as well take the opportunity to go now."

"And travelling to Suna wouldn't be strenuous?" Kakashi asked incredulously. "Especially with Ryo around?"

She gave Kakashi another flat look. "I'll try to take it slow."

The corner of Kakashi's eye creased. "Slow it is, then."

"Talk about taking things slow," she began, feeling suddenly quite mischievous. "How are things going with Rin?"

His visible eye widened. "Rin? What about her?"

"Don't pretend, Sensei. I know you have a thing for her," she teased. "Everyone with eyes can tell."

His brows shot up. "They can?"

"You're not hiding it well. The only other person who seems to be reluctant to admit it is Rin herself."

"Admit what?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. Now he was just being deliberately obtuse. But she knew that it was pointless to press the topic. When Kakashi was ready to make a move, he would. Right?

"Never mind, Kakashi. Forget I said anything."

"Ah, that's more like it." After a thoughtful pause, he added, "Besides, it is kind of worrying to get love advice from someone who has such bad track record-"

"Kakashi…" she interrupted in a warning tone.

He held up his hands in a show of surrender. "I guess that's my cue to leave, huh?"

"Yes."

Waving at her, the corner of his eyes creased as he said, "Well, get well soon, Sakura. Wouldn't want to miss all that training now, would we?"

Sakura groaned out loud as the silver-haired Hokage made a swift exit.

He just had to say that, right?

000

* * *

000

Haruno Sakura was not in Konoha.

Itachi felt a sense of déjà-vu as he stood atop the Hokage Mountains, staring out over the village. The colorful rooftops stared back at him, offering him no answer to his question. A hiss of displeasure escaped his lips as he stepped away from the edge of the mountain, his steps soundless against the rocky ground.

Once again, he was searching for the elusive kunoichi. And once again, she was nowhere to be found. At least, not in Konoha.

The mission roster did not have her name written on it and thus far, his enquiries had proven fruitless. Although most had been reluctant to give him any information, he could tell that all of those he had asked had been truthful about not knowing Sakura's whereabouts.

Turning around, he left the mountain, steadily making his way down the steps. He had just reached the base when he caught sight of a familiar figure of a dark-haired woman with her blond son standing in front of a fruit stall in the distance. It was Naruto's wife and son. He decided that if Uzumaki Hinata did not know the whereabouts of a certain pink-haired kunoichi, he would pay a visit to the Shichidaime. Though, the latter option held less appeal since Itachi knew that Hatake Kakashi could see through him better than the rest of Konoha.

Still, the information he could gain would be worth enduring the scrutiny of the Shichidaime, for the last thing Itachi wanted was to remain ignorant of Sakura's whereabouts. He had spent too many years in ignorance, and he had no intention of repeating the experience.

Without further ado, he made his way across the street towards the fruit stall, maintaining a calm façade. The dark-haired woman turned around at his approach, and immediately tensed. Next to her, the little boy peered at him curiously.

"U-Uchiha-san," the woman greeted, her pale eyes widening in surprise. "N-Naruto… Is he-"

Stopping close to her, he assured her, "This is not about Naruto, Hinata-san."

Her relief was palpable. "Oh. Then, what c-can I help you with?" she asked, not noticing that her son was now inching away, and reaching up the fruit stall for an apple. Itachi decided not to interfere with the child's antics.

"I'm attempting to locate Haruno Sakura."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "S-Sakura?"

He inclined his head, waiting while her brows furrowed slightly in thought. "She is not in Konoha and not on a mission," Itachi supplied evenly. "I wish to contact her."

"I-If she's not here and not on a mission, she must be with Ryo."

Ryo.

This was the first time he had heard the name in this context, and yet, Itachi felt a flash of annoyance at the mention of it. He was not so ignorant that he did not realize what his reaction meant. Still, perhaps he was jumping ahead of himself. He did not know who Ryo was, after all. There could be a perfectly innocent reason for Sakura to be with this Ryo.

"She t-tries to be with him as much as she can," Hinata continued hesitantly. "But with her duties, it is sometimes difficult. Especially this past year."

Her words struck him hard, akin to a blow to the chest, and for a moment, Itachi could only stare at the pale-eyed woman in front of him. So, it was not so innocent, after all. It sounded as if Sakura had been seeing Ryo for more than a year.

Strangely enough, it had not occurred to him to consider this, to consider that she might have entered another relationship after they had parted. The notion clearly did not sit well with him, but at the moment, Itachi was not certain what he should do about it. Perhaps if he had more information about the relationship, he could study the situation better.

However, before he could ask, Uzumaki Hinata gasped and spun around to her son, who was now running off away from her on his short legs, a large apple held in his hands. His tinkling laughter rang through the air as he sped away. The vendor simply shook his head, chuckling lightly in amusement, uncaring that he had lost an apple.

"Minato!" she called out frantically. Shooting him a hurried, apologetic look, she said, "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Thank you, Hinata-san."

And he watched as the woman chased after her wayward son.

This was most revealing, indeed. And rather unsettling as far as he was concerned. Needless to say, he needed more information about the situation for him to decide what his next steps should be. When Sakura returned, he would question her about it. He doubted that she would give him much information, but it would not prevent him from trying.

Mind made up, he was about to turn to head home when a loud yell rang through the air.

"Uchiha-Taichou!"

He turned to find Hagane Kotetsu running towards him, his expression grim from what Itachi could see above and below the white strip of cloth wrapped across his nose. Something had happened, Itachi surmised as the chuunin skidded to a stop before him.

"You have a message from Mogusa. Asari Noa has just been admitted to the hospital. She's badly injured."

Itachi frowned at the information. Asari Noa was one of the ANBU operatives which had made it past the first and second phases of elimination, and was now due to undergo the third phase. How had she managed to injure herself so soon after being dismissed from the hospital from her sparring injuries?

"How severe?"

"She was outside the walls, barely hanging on when she was found."

That was unexpected. "Outside?"

Kotetsu nodded.

"Who found her?"

"Routine patrols heard something and reported back. When we got there, Noa was alone, bleeding out on the forest ground." He frowned. "She hasn't signed out either."

She wouldn't have, Itachi thought, as she should not be outside Konoha in the first place. The situation was decidedly odd, and he could not help but wonder if it had something to do with the previous assassinations. It was something for him to investigate, clearly.

"Is that all, Hagane?" he asked mildly.

Kotetsu nodded.

"You may return to your post. I'll see Mogusa now."

And with that, Itachi turned and made his way to the hospital.

It was not long before he was standing in the ANBU medic's secure office, facing a frowning Mogusa across a wooden desk. The medic, whose face was painted white with dark inking around his eyes, ran his eyes over a report in his hands. For a few moments, the only sound which could be heard in the sterile, antiseptic-scented room was the rustle of paper against paper.

Finally, Mogusa dropped the report on his desk and rubbed his forehead. "This is not just any attack. She's the latest in the line of ANBU victims."

"She is still alive?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. The only one to survive so far. I've kept her in a secure ward, just in case. And she's being tended to by my most trusted medics."

"When is she able to answer questions?"

"Perhaps in a week. I can't say." Mogusa grimaced. "Her wounds are severe. Very much like the others."

"Any anomalies? Any deviation from the rest of the victims?"

Mogusa gave him a meaningful look. "Not much in terms of injuries. But I found something else."

"What is it?"

"Blood." The medic smiled slightly. "And it is not hers."

Itachi inclined his head, absorbing the information with interest. Perhaps this would bring them closer to their suspect. "Identify its owner, and report directly to me. No one else is to know about this."

"Yes, Taichou."

000

* * *

000

The trip to Suna had ended sooner than Sakura had liked. She wished she could stay there for another week, or another month with Ryo, but she knew that it was impossible to even think about it.

A heavy sigh left her as she walked up to the gates of Konoha. The sentries nodded in acknowledgement at her, and she nodded back as she passed the gates, walking past the pool of light shining from the lamp above, breaking the darkness of the night.

Her thoughts resumed as she continued her way home through the silent streets. She had known what it would be like years ago when Ryo came into her life, so she should not really complain. Both her and Ryo had been travelling back and forth so often that it was almost like the two of them had dual citizenship. But she knew that this could not continue. At some point, she and Ryo had to make a decision to settle either in Konoha or Suna.

Of course she'd prefer to remain in Konoha. But Ryo had a strong bond with Suna, stronger than he had with Konoha because apart from Kakashi and Naruto, Ryo's important people were in Suna, namely Gaara, Temari, Kankurou and countless other friends. And she simply did not have the heart to drag him away from that place. Not to mention Gaara might have something to say about it.

When she reached her apartment, she took out her keys to unlock the door. It was a habit left over from her days living with civilian parents.

She frowned at the thought then, recalling how Danzou had picked her for a certain task just because she had descended from the ruling clan in Yugakure. So, at some point in the past, her family was shinobi, but how had her mother and father ended up as civilians? Perhaps one day she should trawl the archives for an answer.

Pushing the door open she stepped into the darkened space and froze. Only then did her senses tell her what she had missed with her preoccupation.

Sakura recognized the figure on her couch in an instant. Annoyance immediately washed over her, making her steps jerky as she strode across the room towards the couch, slamming her palm on a light switch on the way.

The sudden glow of light flooded her apartment, illuminating Uchiha Itachi's lounging figure. He was dressed in his ANBU vest and pants, without the armored vest, and it drew attention to his lithely built form. She had to forcibly focus her eyes on his face lest her thoughts took an unwanted turn. Besides, the way he stared at her without any particular expression irked her. It was as if he did not care that he had just invaded her personal sanctuary.

The urge to yell at him was strong, but Sakura resisted. Showing him her temper would only amuse him.

"Taichou," she greeted icily. "What brings you to my couch?"

He quirked a brow. "Is it unusual for captains to check up on his subordinates?"

"Captains usually don't break into their subordinates' homes, unless it is an emergency. I don't remember Tenzou doing it in the past," she pointed out.

"I am not Tenzou."

"I noticed."

A moment of terse silence passed between them as they stared at each other. Sakura could tell that he was considering his next words. Considering his next _attack_ on her sanity. She mentally braced herself for the onslaught.

"You left Konoha without informing me," he finally remarked, eyes turning a little harder.

"The Hokage cleared it." Her chin tilted slightly in challenge. "Perhaps you wish to take it up with him."

"Why do I need to, when you're here to answer my queries?"

Icy panic crept through her while she fought to remain impassive outwardly. Could he have found out where she had gone and whom she had gone to see? Had anyone told him about her relationship with Ryo? Who could have done so? And then, if someone had told him about her and Ryo, had anyone mentioned Gaara? Because when that topic comes up, Gaara's name usually cropped up.

She knew that there would be no escaping this, but she had hoped for a bit more of a reprieve. Uchiha Itachi had only been back for what? A little more than a week? And he was already threatening to turn her whole life upside down. He would not find it easy, though. She would fight him all the way.

Steeling herself, she asked, "What questions, Taichou?"

"Where were you?"

"It has nothing to do with ANBU, Taichou. There is no need for you to know," she returned stonily.

"There is a need. You were absent from Konoha when I was arranging training sessions."

"Most of us were too injured, and needed at least the last few days to heal. We couldn't have trained," she pointed out.

"Not all are badly injured. Some were released early."

Her lips thinned. "So it's a special session with reduced numbers, is it?" she asked tartly.

"Aa."

She ground her teeth together. "Well, I wasn't aware of it." And even if she did, she still would have disappeared to Suna. Either way, she would be risking such an encounter with him, so it made no difference to her.

"Who is Ryo?"

The sound of that particular name on Itachi's lips sent a shot of cold chill up her spine. Her feeling of panic reemerged, but she managed to squash the feeling before it surfaced. It would not do to let the man know that he had gotten past her defenses with the mere mention of a single name.

She quirked a brow, and asked, "What is it to you?"

"Answer the question."

"Is that an order?" she shot back.

For a moment, there was a flash of something dangerous in his eyes, and Sakura realized that maybe she had pushed him a little too far. Kakashi had told them that Uchiha Itachi was not the type to stand for insubordination, after all.

"Who is Ryo? And yes, this is an order."

Cornered, she knew that there was no avoiding the question. Finally, she hissed, "Someone important. Ryo is the most important person in my life."

There was an odd flicker in Itachi's eyes, and she could almost swear that he was surprised by her declaration. But what did he expect? That _he_ would be the most important person in her life? That was ridiculous. He had lied to her, deceived her, and to do something like that to another person meant hurting said person. And he obviously had not cared enough for her even back then to refrain from deceiving her.

"Is he a civilian?" he asked in a flat voice.

She supposed she could safely answer that. "Not that it is any of your concern, but no." Her eyes narrowed. "I still don't see why you're asking all this."

He rose from the couch to walk towards her. Almost like a predator hunting its prey, and she had to fight the urge to run.

When they were only inches apart, he stopped, and intoned mildly, "I'm merely… curious."

He was too close now, too close for comfort. His entire form seemed to loom over her, but she did not move a single muscle. Instead, she stared up at him unflinchingly.

"Why did you choose to assume a relationship with a Suna shinobi?"

A relationship with a Suna shinobi. That was when she realized what Uchiha Itachi had assumed about her and Ryo. And with that realization came a sense of giddy relief, one which almost made her laugh out loud. She should have realized it earlier. She should have realized what Itachi had assumed.

"Why?" he prompted when she said nothing.

"Why not?" she hedged, giving him a stubborn look.

Much to her surprise, the stoic ANBU captain visibly tensed at her question. It occurred to her then, that maybe, just maybe, Uchiha Itachi was really hurt by those words. And with that thought, came the niggling possibility that he might still have some feelings for her.

Even after all this time.

"Answer the question, Sakura. Why?" he pressed. "And why this Ryo?"

She knew that she'd have to answer him. He would not relent until she did and already, she could tell from the stony expression on his face that he was far from pleased with her.

Perhaps this was the opportunity for her to drive him away. An opportunity for her to make sure that he did not come too close to her this time. An opportunity to protect herself and all that was hers.

So, in a quiet, almost inaudible voice, she sidestepped his question without lying.

"I love Ryo."

000

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000


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

* * *

**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 5**

"I love Ryo."

They were merely words. And yet, those three small words slammed into him with a force he had not expected, almost eliciting a physical reaction from him and he had to fight to keep his expression impassive. It was difficult to accept those words, even though he had prepared himself for this eventuality when Naruto's wife had spoken to him of Ryo. He had spent two restless nights contemplating the matter, after all.

The shock was soon overtaken by a rising frigid anger he seldom felt. It coursed through him, seeping into each part of him, eliciting the _need_ to just vent, to lash out. The urge to hunt this Ryo down to demand that he depart from Sakura's life was strong, and Itachi's jaws tightened at the thought.

Also, in the less explored recesses of his mind, he could not help but wonder how was it possible that Sakura was capable of dismissing what they had so easily, while he was still so… _attached _to her, despite all his attempts to do otherwise. It seemed so easy for her, moving on to another shinobi, of another village, no less. It defied understanding.

Not quite trusting himself to speak objectively with his anger so close to the surface, he simply regarded the pink-haired woman silently. Besides, the painful sensation of a lump lodged somewhere between his chest and his throat made it difficult for him to form words. Standing just an arm's length away from him, Sakura's rigid stance and her clenched hands betrayed her tension as she stared back unrepentantly, possibly unaware of the effect her words had on him. Or perhaps she did; she certainly understood him well enough to do so. In which case, she clearly wished to hurt him by uttering those words.

"Is that so?" he finally murmured, his quiet voice not betraying even a hint of his anger, of the clamoring inside him.

There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, followed by a brief flash of guilt before she quickly masked the emotion. There were two possibilities for her reaction. First, she could be lying, and thus felt guilty for it. Alternatively, she could be telling the truth, and felt guilty that she was hurting his feelings.

Itachi decided that it was likely to be the latter. The kunoichi had always been too soft hearted, and it appeared that this trait of hers had not changed, even though she seemed to be hiding it better under her new ANBU façade.

"Is that true?" he prompted in a harder voice when she remained silent.

Her chin lifted stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest. In a bland voice, she responded, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"I'm merely surprised by your admission."

"Why?" she grated out.

"It means releasing your past," he told her icily, recalling a certain conversation of theirs.

If she was taken aback by his words, she did not show it. This Sakura, unlike the only he had known all those years ago, was certainly more in control of herself. She had been much easier to read then. It was more challenging now, and whilst he usually savored a challenge, at present, he found himself even more irked by this realization.

"Someone once told me not to cling to the past." She directed a pointed glare at him. "That one should learn from it and create a better future. Or something like that." Her eyes flickered then, but it was not something he could indentify. "Well, I'm doing exactly that. And I suggest you do the same."

Itachi's jaw tightened as his aggravation at the situation grew. He should have known that he would get his words thrown back at him some day. It did not please him that she had done so, but she had at least referred to their past. The acknowledgement was a good step forward, he decided.

"Perhaps you should leave now," she said stiffly.

He knew that there was nothing more he could do or say here, now that she had confirmed Ryo's identity, albeit rather vaguely. Considering his current state of mind, he should leave before he did something that could worsen the state of affairs. There was a need to work through the situation to decide what was appropriate for his next step. That would be the sensible thing to do, for at the moment, his anger was too close to the surface of his calm façade for him to think objectively.

And then a specific memory came to him suddenly, reminding him that when he had tested her with the kiss, the desire in those wide green eyes had been real, before she had pulled a mask over it. She had wanted _him_ then, despite this relationship she had with another shinobi. The shinobi she had so recently claimed she loved.

The realization immediately fuelled something within him, driving him to reach out to rest his palm against her cheek. She sucked in a sharp breath at his touch, her eyes widening slightly in what? Surprise? Confusion? Fear? Why was it so difficult for him to read her these days? It had been so easy before.

"Are you lying to me, Sakura?" he asked bluntly as his thumb feathered down to the corner of her lips. His tone was hard, in complete contrast to his touch.

She stared mutely at him, almost as if she was frozen. It had not escaped his notice that she had not shied away from his touch. Yet.

"It is a possibility, is it not?" His tone was smooth, quiet, betraying nothing of his anger but the words sounded threatening nonetheless. "Perhaps an attempt to drive me away from you? From Konoha?"

Her mask cracking just a little, she swallowed visibly, her throat undulating as she did so. His eyes followed the movement, and his fingers soon followed. Her body went rigid with tension, and he could feel the rapid pulse of her heartbeat under his palm as his hand pressed against the side of her throat. As a shinobi, she should perceive this as a threat, for it would only take him a fraction of a second to break her neck. And yet, she did not move.

What could that mean?

He raised his gaze, catching her eyes. And then he queried mildly, "Do you want me to leave Konoha?"

Shock flashed across her eyes, and something else that looked almost like confusion. Then, in a shaky voice, she replied, "That's not for me to decide, surely."

"Hm."

She inhaled deeply, dragging her eyes away from him. And then she exhaled loudly before she spoke. "Look, let's not make things awkward. You're my captain, and we need to work together. Can we not just… cooperate professionally?"

In other words, she simply wished to avoid what had happened between them. She wished for a truce so that they could carry on professionally, but that was all. Now that she had a relationship with another man, she did not wish to destabilize it with this _awkwardness_ between them.

That flare of anger spiked once again.

Still, perhaps it was best to leave this for now. He would humor her for the moment, and keep their interactions at a professional level. That would suit his other task, in any case.

Decision made, he took a step back away from her, allowing his palm to slide off her the soft skin of her neck. Her eyes flickered slightly then, and he could still feel the tension emanating from her form. It displeased him that she was so wary around him now. It displeased him that she no longer leaned into his touch the way she had done so many years ago.

"I expect to see you tomorrow. Training Ground Five. 0600 hours."

She was surprised by his sudden retreat, and it showed in the slight furrowing of her brows. Good, it would keep her wondering. And he knew that as long as he remained in her mind, regardless of the reason, it would be difficult for her to fully break the bonds they had made. Besides, he had already set in motion something which would further drive home their past relationship. For the moment, he simply had to be content with that.

Before she could respond, Itachi turned around and walked out of her apartment.

The cold night air washed over him as he began his journey back home. The coolness aided in calming him somewhat, leaching away some of the fury and frustration he felt from this latest revelation of Sakura's personal life.

She had declared that she loved this Ryo, something that she had not said to him six years ago even when they were at their closest and most content. Instead, she had said this to someone else.

The surge of fury came again, and Itachi's hands clenched into fists before he forced himself to loosen his fingers. It would not do to give in to this unproductive emotion. He had to view this objectively.

Soon, he found himself standing at the threshold of the new building he now called home, on the opposite end of Konoha from where the Uchiha compound had been. Like every building in Konoha, this was also new, constructed in brick with concrete floor and tiled roof. The building was two storeys, set in its own grounds to secure him the privacy he wanted. It had been paid for by the coffers of the Uchiha fortune, which had remained safe from Pein's attack in their various secure locations outside Konoha. Although this new home had many empty rooms, it was still much smaller than the sprawling house in the Uchiha compound where he had grown up in so many years ago.

It still felt too big for him alone.

Perhaps subconsciously, he had bought it in the hopes that he could sway Sakura back to his side. It was clearly foolish of him to think so, especially in the light of this latest revelation. Any form of permanency he wished with Sakura required more work than he had anticipated. The question was what he should do now.

He could leave Sakura to her new life, to accept that she no longer wish to be with him, keeping their interactions on a professional level only as she had asked earlier.

Or take her for himself.

000

* * *

000

The next morning saw Sakura standing in line with the rest of the ANBU operatives in the designated training ground, grumpy and itching for a fight. Her eyes felt gritty and her head felt heavy with the lack of sleep from last night, thanks to a certain Uchiha captain. And she had a feeling that their captain would be working them hard today, especially her.

Wanting to distract herself from her less-than-cheerful disposition, she turned to the side to study the line of ANBU. The line was shorter than that from the first training session, and there were a good number of ANBU missing, including Naruto. In fact, she was beginning to worry since she had not seen her friend ever since that training session more than a week ago.

Talk about missing, it was already fifteen minutes past six and their captain was still not there, despite ordering them to be there by six. Her brows furrowed in annoyance as she dug her heels into the damp soil underneath. He had better not be pulling a Kakashi on them.

If she was honest with herself, she admitted that she did not look forward to seeing him today, after their volatile conversation last night. She still did not know what to make of his reaction, of the fact that he was angry but in his usual way, had sought to hide it. And he would have succeeded in fooling her too, if she had not spent so much time in the past studying his actions. It was only through that that she realized that he had not been as unaffected as he seemed. He had been calm outwardly when he had left her, but she guessed he would return home to mull over the issue.

His anger confused her, because his reaction told her that he was still interested enough to be _possessive_ of her. But where did this leave them? She still did not fully trust him.

Suddenly, there was a flare of chakra and flash of gold appeared beside her. Almost jumping in surprise, she spun around and gasped, eyes widening in recognition.

"Naruto? You-"

Her sputters were cut short by another burst of chakra, and this time, it was in front of them. The line of ANBU immediately stilled, each member straightening to attention when the chakra signature of the newest arrival became identifiable.

Uchiha Itachi's appearance was sudden, as sudden as the appearance of her friend by her side. Sakura found herself staring as white smoke of the transportation jutsu cleared to reveal him fully. His eyes were not on her, however. Instead, they were scanning the line of ANBU rather impassively.

Her eyes narrowed in irritation as she studied his appearance. He was obviously alert and well-rested, despite what had happened between them. Last night had not been a sleepless one for him, like it had been for her. Which implied that it had not bothered him as much as she thought it would. Perhaps he had decided to drop the matter after everything she had said?

Somehow, that did not make her feel any better.

Forcibly pushing all thoughts of it to the back of her mind, Sakura flicked her eyes to the left, where Naruto stood beside her, silent and watchful. She itched to speak to him, to ask him what Itachi had said to him more than one week ago. The blond must have sensed her eyes on him, because he turned to flash her a quick grin. But she did not miss the slightly sorrowful light in his eyes. What had happened to him?

Beyond him, she could see rest of the ANBU waiting expectantly for their new captain to speak. There was a variety of expressions displayed ever so subtly on their unmasked faces, their wariness of the Uchiha only thinly shielded, but much to Sakura's surprise, there were a number who seemed almost eager for their captain to commence their training.

Sakura blinked slowly as comprehension dawned. The realization that some of them were beginning to accept Itachi brought forth mixed feelings. Clearly, it did not take long for them to forget who he was and what he had done. But then again, to many of them, what Itachi had done had not personally affected them, so why should they care?

His eyes swept past her again, stopping briefly at Naruto before he intoned evenly, "You will notice that there are less of you here now."

There was a rumble of acknowledgement, peppered with the occasional, "Yes, Taichou."

Arms at his side, the lines of his body relaxed, Itachi explained, "Your absent colleagues are undertaking a specific type of training. You have been allocated something different. A genjutsu assessment."

Sakura felt chilled suddenly. This was what he was best at. Mind games. And she could not help but fear that he would manage to dredge up everything she did not wish to reveal. Especially to him. Especially after their conversation yesterday.

"However, the assessment has to be delayed. At the moment, Konoha requires your services. Therefore, you will be allocated a team and a mission which may require you to leave the village."

Sakura blinked at the unexpected announcement. She had thought that they would be grounded in Konoha until this restructuring of ANBU was complete. Quickly counting, she noted that there were thirty-two of them, which meant with four members per team, there would be exactly eight teams. And the numbers meant that Uchiha Itachi would not be joining in, much to her relief.

"Here are your teams and missions," he announced as he swiftly tossed eight scrolls at the squad leaders. "Report to the Hokage's office at the day and time stated in the scroll for your briefing."

And with that, Uchiha Itachi formed a series of seals and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Sakura to stare in bewilderment at the empty space where he had stood in earlier.

That was it?

Somehow, it was a bit of a let-down, since she had prepared herself for a bad time training today. She had been pretty certain that he would make things difficult for her after their conversation last night. But now that he had just disappeared like that, she did not know what to think anymore.

Not to mention he had barely spared a glance at her today. Today, he was all business. The perfect ANBU captain.

Perhaps he _really_ had decided to leave her alone after her declaration.

She had thought that she would feel nothing but relief, but instead, the notion brought forth a mix of feelings within her. Yes, she was relieved that the pressure seemed to have eased off, but there was also something else curiously not unlike disappointment. Surely that was ridiculous, because she really did not need or want Uchiha Itachi's attention now, did she?

"Hag."

Sakura spun around at the sound of the unflattering nickname to glare at Sai. "I told you to stop calling me that, Sai," she snapped.

Unperturbed by her tone, he smiled widely. "It is a form of endearment, is that not true?"

She rolled her eyes. "Never mind. What is it?"

He held up a scroll, and that was when she realized that he was not alone. Morino Idate and another ANBU called Kouga were standing close to him. Idate, who had returned to Konoha under Kakashi's orders, gave her a grin.

"Looks like we're in a team."

Sakura blinked at the reshuffle. Kouga had always been in Sai's team, but for some reason, Itachi must have decided that Idate would fit in better here than his predecessor. Deciding that it was not a bad thing, since she got along well enough with Idate, she tried to peek at the content of the scroll.

"So what's the mission?"

"Item delivery."

Her brows shot up. "Item delivery? Isn't that a little… basic… for ANBU operatives?"

Sai shrugged.

"Orders are orders, I guess," Kouga supplied with a sigh. "Better than being stuck here, right?"

"Some action at last," Idate muttered.

"So when are we getting the full brief?" she asked.

Sai waved the scroll a little. "Tomorrow. Thirteen hundred hours at the Hokage's office, with full ANBU gear and light travelling pack."

She guessed that meant that they would be moving out immediately after the briefing. It was a standard procedure for high-level missions, which did not make sense if this was only a simple item delivery. There must be something more to it then, something that their captain would tell them tomorrow.

She waved at them. "Well, see you tomorrow then."

In the meantime, since she was free, it was time to corner Naruto. Her blond friend had some explaining to do.

But when she scanned the training grounds on her way out, the blond was nowhere to be found. Instead, her newly-formed team was jogging past her. As Sai overtook her, he turned to look over his shoulder.

"Don't be late, Hag."

"Who do you think I am, Sai? Kakashi?" she shot back.

He gave her a wide smile. "No one would mistake you for the Hokage."

Rolling her eyes, she turned away from him. Talk about the Hokage, since Naruto was nowhere to be seen, she might as well go to Kakashi. She needed his permission for something and the sooner she got it, the better, she guessed. It would be something to distract her from thinking too much about a certain Uchiha, after all.

A light breeze sped past her as she broke into a jog, heading towards the center of Konoha where the Hokage Tower was situated. As she approached, she glanced up, vaguely recalling the previous structure that had stood there. The new one was painted a paler color, with the same type of circular design. It brought back unpleasant memories of Pein's destruction of Konoha eight years ago, and she sighed sadly at the thought of the whole battle. She had been sixteen then, and had been nowhere as skilled in battle as she was now, so the only thing she had contributed was her medical skills. It had not been enough, though. So many had died, and if Naruto had not convinced Pein to reverse it… She shuddered at the thought of how many of her important people would have been dead.

Shaking those horrible thoughts away, she entered the administration center of Konoha and ran up the stairs. Soon, she was standing between two guards, knocking on the door to demand entry.

"Come in, Sakura."

She pushed the door open and entered. The morning sunlight from the large window directly opposite her momentarily blinded her as it had always done, and she vaguely wondered if it was situated there just for that specific reason.

"You're very early, Sakura," drawled the Shichidaime, as he leaned back against the back of his chair, propping his feet on the edge of the table.

"Hokage-sama." She frowned at the heel of his sandals pressing against a sheet of paper which look suspiciously like someone's painstakingly-written mission report. "It's… unseemly… for a Hokage to sit like that," she chided sternly.

"Ah? Is it?" He dropped his feet to the ground and leaned forward. In a lower voice, he said, "And I thought I told you there's no need to call me that when we're alone."

Her brow twitched. "Somehow, you managed to make that sentence sound… off."

The corner of his eye creased. "Why, Sakura… just what exactly are you insinuating?"

She huffed, deciding to drop the topic lest it got uncomfortable. Kakashi was getting worse in his old age. "Never mind. I got something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"You know how Danzou asked me to work on the Shinjutama because of my ancestry?" she began, waiting for Kakashi to nod before she continued, "Well, where did he get the information from?"

"About your background?" Kakashi prompted.

"Yes. About how I have Shinju blood in me."

"The information would be in the archives, I'd guess." Kakashi took on a speculative look. "And now I suppose you want to have a look?"

She nodded.

He tilted his head slightly to one side, thoughtfully. "You didn't want to before. So why the change of heart suddenly?"

Exasperated, she scowled. She had not wanted to delve into her background because everything to do with her Shinju blood would inevitably lead back to the Shinjutama and Yugakure and that would only remind her of Itachi's deception. And since Itachi was in Konoha now, reminding her of it everyday, her previous reasoning no longer mattered. But she could not tell Kakashi that.

Instead, she asked, "Does it matter? It just came to my mind suddenly, that's all. And I have some free time until midday tomorrow."

"Aa."

"So?" she prodded impatiently. "Can I have access to the archive? The Haruno records specifically?"

"Well…" he dragged out slowly. "I suppose Shikamaru could be persuaded to show you where it is."

Sakura groaned. "Please?"

Eye creasing again, Kakashi waved a hand up and down. "Just pulling your leg, Sakura-chan. Of course you can have a look at the information. I'll get Shikamaru to dig out the Haruno box for you. Okay?"

"Thank you, Kakashi!" she exclaimed, beaming gratefully at the silver-haired man.

"Come back tomorrow morning, and it should be here waiting for you."

000

* * *

000

Sakura stared at the wooden box at the foot of her bed, feeling a frisson of trepidation run through her. There it was, the information that she sought.

Taking a deep breath, she dropped to her knees in front of it. Down on the floor, she was close enough to smell the musty, woody scent which betrayed its age, even though the box looked relatively intact. It must have been infused with some sort of preservation jutsu.

Her background had not been much of an interest to her in the past. All she knew were her mother and her father, and she had been told since young that her grandparents were deceased. Her parents were civilians, as far as she knew, both working on a small business in the town of Konoha until bandits had killed them one day when they had travelled out of Konoha for a business meeting.

A shaky breath left her at the recollection of the event. It had happened soon after Naruto had left with Jiraiya to train, when she had only been thirteen-years-old, and she had felt so alone then. She had spent all her time working like mad under Tsunade in the attempt to keep the tears at bay. Part of her had wished that she could have done something to prevent it, but she knew that it was pointless to think like that now.

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath to calm herself. When her eyelids lifted a while later, she reached out to open the box. The wooden lid scraped lightly as the contents of the box came into sight, revealing a brown file at the top of the pile. The name on it was a familiar one; it was her father's file.

Her eyes immediately narrowed at the implication of the color.

Green usually denoted active shinobi files, while blue denoted civilian. And brown? Brown denoted a retired shinobi.

A little bewildered by the realization, she stared at it silently before deciding that she would have to open the file if she wanted to know if her father had omitted to tell the truth to her all these years. Reaching in, her hand shook slightly as she picked up the brown file and opened it. A picture of her father greeted her. He looked much younger than she remembered, his hair had yet to be tinged with grey, instead, a rich maroon. The thick red strands flopped over his green eyes and his Konoha hitai-ate, confirming that he had once been a shinobi.

Why had he kept this information from her? They could have trained together… or something. They could have talked about shinobi stuff. But she clearly remembered how he used to avoid getting into a discussion about ninja arts even though he had not prohibited her from pursuing it. Perhaps he had signed some sort of contract when he had stopped being an active operative, promising not to speak of his life as a one. Still, she did not understand why he had found it necessary to retire in the first place.

The need to understand prompted her to dig further into his file. Eyes scanning through the information quickly, she noted that he was a rather skilled shinobi, having graduated from the Academy at eleven and received his Chuunin status at twelve. It was several years after that, when he was fifteen, that he had been posted outside Konoha, and the details of his assignments became sketchy, something that was a clear sign of a high-ranking mission. Eventually, close to the end of the file, discovered that he was still a chuunin when he had decided to resign to take on the life of a civilian at the age of nineteen. But why? Nothing in the file cited a good reason for his action. It simply said that he had felt that he could no longer serve Konoha well as a shinobi.

There was a section on his background. It looked as if the Haruno clan was a mix of both civilians and shinobi, but the numbers had been rather small, having dwindled over the generations. Her father was an only child, but he had a handful of shinobi and civilian cousins. Sakura smiled slightly when she realized who one of the cousins was. Perhaps one day, she would research more into the topic of her distant relatives. Now, she had other things to find out.

She delved further into the file, but there was no indication that her father was descended from the Shinju clan. So whom had she gotten the Shinju blood from? It could not be from her civilian mother, surely.

A little frustrated, she placed the file to one side and reached for another in the box. This time, it was a blue file. Her mother's, she noted as she scanned the name written on it. She opened it to reveal a picture of a sweetly smiling woman, and Sakura's heart softened at the image. This was Okaa-san, alright, just younger. The shade of her mother's hair was a very much paler pink than her own, and she had purple eyes.

Sakura scanned the list of information on her mother, not noting anything out of the ordinary for a typical civilian woman. The only anomaly was the fact that she was not born in Konoha, and that she had migrated into the village when she was sixteen.

Sakura continued to read until she reached a blank section of the file, at which she stilled and frowned. Although it was blank, she immediately knew what it implied. It was not the first time she had seen such a thing. After all, she had helped Tsunade with many of these, so she knew exactly what she should do to reveal the hidden information.

Placing the folder down carefully on the floor, she performed the necessary seals to unlock the protection before placing her hands on the blank page. It was a quick method, but secure, she noted as she removed her hands.

Gradually, the words lifted off the whiteness of the page and became fully visible. Sakura's breath hitched as she took in the newly revealed information.

The information on the page was unsubstantiated by any evidence, but there was a suspicion that her mother was a descendant of the Shinju clan from Spring Country based on her unique appearance. However, the medical assessments she had undergone when she first entered Konoha to live did not reveal any developed chakra pathways within her body. That suggested that she was not a shinobi, but the report concluded that her physical resemblance to the clan was hard to dismiss. The medic who had performed the assessments had recommended further observation of the woman.

Slowly, Sakura closed the blue file and let it drop to her lap. Leaning back against her bed, she stared at the end of the room thoughtfully, barely registering the wooden wardrobe there.

So, it was her mother who possessed the Shinju blood. She could have never guessed, since her mother had always been a civilian as far as she knew. Unlike her temperamental father, whom she had inherited her temper from, the woman was quite mild in character and did not seem anything like a shinobi. In fact, Sakura could quite clearly recall her mother's concern when she had decided to pursue this career.

With this new disclosure in mind, her mother's concerns began to take on a new light. She was probably more worried that some Shinju clan characteristic might reveal itself, Sakura thought, glancing down at her own hands. And considering her mother's passive nature, perhaps she did not want her daughter to grow up fighting others, especially considering that the Shinjutama was closely tied to the clan.

But so far, Sakura had nothing to show for that bloodline of hers, discounting the ability to use and manipulate the Shinjutama. She supposed that was enough, since the Shinjutama's properties made it such a desirable object for power-seekers. She grimaced at the thought of the cost such power demanded. Nothing came for free, and certainly not the power of the Shinjutama. She still remembered how horrified she had been the first time she saw the gemstone absorb blood, increasing its strength as it did so.

If she had realized then how exactly Danzou had wanted to use the fragments she had collected, she would not have continued doing Danzou's dirty task for him in Yugakure. She would rather have been punished for insubordination, or even killed. The price was too high, and as it was, she already had too much blood on her hands, albeit unwittingly.

And, if she had not taken on the mission, she would not have met Nakamura Itsuki, Itachi's civilian persona.

Her eyes fluttered shut and her throat tightened uncomfortably at the recollection of that period of her life. That name always brought back memories, but the good memories were often shadowed by his deception. Perhaps if he had told her the truth when he found out…

No, she would not have listened then, would she? She probably would have reacted the same as she had done when she first found out. What did it matter now anyway? The man had admitted that he had no intention of telling her the truth. Ever.

And now? Now that Itachi was back in Konoha, she no longer knew what she should do. Stay or run? Fight or give in? Fight or kiss him?

With a loud groan of despair, she let her head slump forward to her knees.

000

* * *

000

It was late in the day when Uchiha Itachi received a rare visitor to his abode. When he opened the door, letting in a gust of chilly air, Mogusa the ANBU medic was standing at the other side.

"You have the information?" he asked without preamble.

Mogusa nodded, and Itachi allowed him entry. The door closed behind them with a subtle click, and Itachi performed the necessary seals to further protect their conversation from eavesdroppers.

"The blood?" he asked.

Wordlessly, Mogusa handed him a file. Itachi took in and opened it to the first page. He blinked at the information before him, and then closed the file. Mogusa took it from him with a questioning look.

"What now, Taichou?" the medic asked.

"We will wait for Asari's statement. Is she able to answer questions?"

"She is still drugged, but yes, I don't see why not. I'll lower the dosage when you need to speak to her."

Itachi nodded. "Prepare her tomorrow. She will be interrogated at midday."

"I'll see to it, Taichou."

"If there's nothing else, you may leave now."

Once Mogusa had left his house, Itachi shut the door and dispelled the protective jutsu. Silently, he went to the window and stared out thoughtfully. He could see the medic's form retreating quickly, long shadows forming behind him from the late afternoon sun.

The information Mogusa had revealed was very interesting indeed. On the surface, it would seem that his assumptions was wrong, but Itachi had spent too many years strategizing to accept this so quickly. There may be a different explanation for the presence of Ishida Kazuki's blood on the victim than what was obvious.

And he intended to find out what it was.

In the meantime, however, he had to take his shift at a certain task.

At that thought, Itachi stepped away from the window to move towards the door.

The chill descending upon Konoha hit his face as he exited his home, the temperature dropping as it usually did as evening approached. People still milled about in the streets, tending to their own activities, but most of them paused briefly when he appeared. Clearly, after two weeks of his presence in Konoha, the novelty of staring at him had not worn off yet. It did not affect him, however, for he simply ignored the stares and whispers.

As he walked towards the ANBU headquarters, he allowed his mind to stray to Sakura. The last time they had spoken privately had been several days ago, and until now, he still felt stung by her declaration of love for the other shinobi.

The surge of possessiveness was not new when it came to her. She had always been able to incite this feeling in him, even in the past, even if it was unconsciously done. It was truly displeasing that she affected him to this degree, but he had since come to accept it. It was pointless to fight a losing battle.

The sight of the ANBU headquarters put a halt to his thoughts, and Itachi entered the building, descending the steps to reach a certain secured room in the basement. It was protected by several high level jutsu, rigged with so many traps that one would have to be truly foolish or skilled to be able to even catch sight of the door. It had been designed by Nara Shikamaru and himself, after all.

As Itachi went through the motions of dispelling one layer of protection, to step forward to encounter another block, at which he countered with another jutsu, he smiled slightly. It was different, working with the Nara strategist.

Different from Kisame.

His past life in Akatsuki, filled with subterfuge and all forms of subtle lies and deceit, seemed so long ago. It had been stressful, now that he thought about it, although at that time, it was the only thing he had known for a long time. He had not thought to question it much, nor did he aspire to change it since he knew that Sasuke would eventually end the existence for him. After all, he had willingly entered the arrangement, agreeing to spy for Konoha in exchange for Sasuke's life.

However, things did not always pan out according to plans, no matter how well thought-out the plans were.

Here he was; alive. And Sasuke; dead.

It… _saddened_ him.

Itachi sighed inwardly, deciding that he did not wish to think about this particular topic as the last of the shields relented to him.

The now-visible door beyond the shield line flared yellow to announce his presence to the room's occupant as he pushed the door open and walked in. Sitting in front of a long table, Nara Shikamaru's expression was set in concentration as he stared down at the scrolls in front of him. He was wearing earpieces that were linked via a pair of chakra threads to a red scroll in front of him. And in turn, there were eight chakra threads linking the single red scroll to the other eight pale colored scrolls. Each of those eight scrolls represented each ANBU squad they had sent out on missions.

After a while, Shikamaru leaned back and closed his eyes wearily. "This is so troublesome," he grunted.

"Anything to report?"

"Nothing. Just random topics. They were mostly travelling in complete silence so far, and no one has said anything odd. Not surprised, really. Our suspect is not the careless type."

Itachi nodded. If there was anything to be detected, it would not be too obvious.

Just then, the door to the room flared yellow. Having identified and approved the person seeking entry, it released its lock soundlessly and revealed Morino Ibiki pushing in. Once the shinobi had entered the room, the door swung shut once more, the yellow light of the security jutsu activating as it had done earlier.

"Results?" the head of the Interrogation Unit asked as he stepped towards the table.

The spiky-haired strategist shook his head.

Ibiki frowned. "Might be a waste of time, this plan of yours, Uchiha," he commented, but without censure.

"Wouldn't say that," Shikamaru pointed out. "Besides, these 'gifts' would be useful once they get to the other villages. We can tap what they're up to, at least until they discover what these gifts really are."

Ibiki smirked. "Won't they be happy."

"They should expect it. It is a time of war," Itachi said mildly. "If they are foolish enough to accept the gifts unquestioningly and leave it somewhere prominent, then they deserved to be spied on." Fixing his eyes on the interrogator, he continued, "Asari is available for questioning."

A nod followed before Ibiki asked, "Time?"

"Tomorrow. Noon."

"I'll be there."

Giving the older shinobi a meaningful look, Itachi said, "Be… thorough."

There was a flash of surprise on Ibiki's face, but the man recovered quickly. "I see."

Satisfied that he was understood, Itachi added, "I will cover your shift here until you've completed the interrogation."

Removing the earpieces, the Nara heir stood up and stretched, arms high above his head. A wide yawn followed before he dropped his arms to gesture at the scrolls. "Well, Uchiha, it's all yours."

Once the two other shinobi had left the room, Itachi activated the jutsu and waited for it to take hold, focusing his attention on one particular team's scroll first. Ten, maybe twenty seconds passed before he heard a shuffling sound which became more and more distinct as the chakra threads between him and the scrolls strengthened. It was the subtle, low sound of wood rubbing against fabric. He knew that it was caused by the friction between the wooden containers holding the painting against the clothes of the team captain carrying it, in this case, Sai.

Satisfied that the jutsu was functioning properly under his chakra, he proceeded to inspect the rest of the scrolls on the table. There were eight in total, one for the item each team carried. Once all the checks were completed, he sat down to begin the surveillance. He knew that it was doubtful that he would learn much, but he hoped that this would give him more clues as to who was responsible for the assassinations.

Hours passed, and he heard nothing particularly incriminating or interesting from any of the eight teams. The team that he had most interest in for personal reasons, Sai's team, was silent throughout the trip apart from the occasional curt instructions from Sai.

That was oddly disappointing that he had not heard a single word from Sakura. He was interested in knowing her reaction to finding out that he had sent her along with the squad headed for Yugakure. She might very well be indifferent to it, but Itachi doubted that such was the case. Sakura could not have changed that much.

She should be close to Suna by now, for they would have to cross Wind Country to reach Yugakure. He was counting on the destination to bring her memories of their time together to the fore. He wished for her to see what they had both so foolishly dismissed at that time. Perhaps she would be more amenable to his attentions then, and perhaps she would reconsider her relationship with the Suna shinobi once she thought more about it.

Still, he was fully aware that this plan could backfire on him. She might decide that what they had was dismal compared to her new relationship.

The mere notion of it instantly brought forth the fury he had suppressed over the past few days, and he had to forcibly turn his thoughts in another direction as to not overreact.

With that thought, he shifted his focus onto another team's scroll. The scroll in question flashed orange, and the brightness travelled down the chakra thread until it reached the main scroll, where the information was deciphered into something understandable.

The sounds were unintelligible at first, and shortly afterwards, a brief command to stop came from the squad leader. Itachi listened as the squad discussed the best strategy to overcome an unexpected obstacle in their path. It was Shinozuka Aoi with his new squad, now that his previous two team members had been removed from active duty. Itachi attention was drawn to the inflections of Shinozuka's voice as the team leader gave his new team members tasks to perform, noting with interest that there was an almost imperceptible foreign lilt to his tones.

When that squad had fallen silent, Itachi made a mental note to go through Shinozuka's file once more, though he doubted that he had missed something important. But lives were at stake here, and he had no intention of allowing anything to slip past him.

And then he moved on to another team and continued to listen. The process continued for the next few hours with each and every one of the scrolls which flashed orange.

It was late in the night when there was a shift in situation in Sai's team, their scroll flashing orange to indicate that there was some activity at that end. Itachi focused his chakra there and listened as Sai spoke.

"It's secure. We'll rest here."

"About time," someone grumbled, most likely Morino Idate, Itachi surmised from the tone.

"Sissy," another male voice mocked, Kouga, presumably.

"Please don't start your petty squabbles," Sakura warned. "I'm not healing anyone tonight."

Itachi smirked at the disgruntled agreements from the rest.

Conversation paused as the team members moved around, presumably to set up camp for the night. Itachi listened as they consumed a short meal, not conversing much, which suggested that either they were tired or they were not in a secure location.

When the meal concluded, Kouga announced, "Who's taking first watch?"

"Hag."

"That's not my codename," a voice growled with a complete lack of restrain.

It almost made Itachi smile. Her temper was still short, he noticed. As ridiculous as it was, he found himself missing it. In the past, she had treated him without guarding her every word or responses, much as she was doing with her current teammates. The same could not be said for how she acted towards him now.

"You're practically begging for a punch," Idate snickered.

"Quiet, Runner," Sai ordered mildly. "Or perhaps you want double watch duty?"

The ANBU in question fell silent.

"I'll do the first watch, alright?" came the disgruntled announcement from the kunoichi. "Go get some rest, all of you."

Itachi heard another bout of shuffling, and then silence. They must have settled for the night, he surmised, a little disappointed that that was all the contact he would have with the kunoichi.

And then Sai's voice broke the silence, his tone missing his earlier obnoxious tone. His voice was low, probably so the others were not disturbed.

"We're close to Suna."

"I know."

"You're not visiting Ryo?" he asked.

Itachi's jaw tightened at the mention of that very name. Everyone seemed to know and accept this relationship of hers with a foreign shinobi. Have they not thought of the trouble that could arise from such a thing? The issue of conflict of interest must have been considered, one would think.

"I've just got back from Suna a few days ago." There was a short pause before she continued, "Besides, I can't be running off during a mission."

"It is close enough to be there and back by morning."

Itachi heard Sakura reply, "It will be too hard."

"Too hard?" Sai asked curiously.

She sighed audibly. "I don't want to just spend an hour or two with Ryo and have to rush back. Besides, he's sleeping now."

The longing in her voice was evident and Itachi felt the tightness in his jaw spreading over his entire body, a clear sign of his displeasure. Was she truly so enamored of the other man that she had to speak of him in such a manner? He did not comprehend it. She had not been the type to cling when they had been together, after all.

"Sometimes I wish he could just live in Konoha," she murmured.

Itachi's eyes narrowed as his displeasure made the transition into a tightly controlled fury. A Suna shinobi, one having a relationship with Sakura no less, living in Konoha? Such a notion was entirely distasteful, and if it did happen, he would ensure that the man would not remain for long.

"He's not allowed, right? Dickless told me," Sai commented thoughtfully.

"Na… Fox talks too much," she said with a chuckle. "But yeah, that's one of the reasons. The Kaze- um… Sandman doesn't like the idea."

Sandman? From Sakura's slip, it was clear that Sandman was the Kazekage. Itachi's anger dissipated slightly as his interest sharpened at the mention of Suna's leader. How was the Kazekage connected to Sakura and Ryo?

A few seconds passed before Sai spoke again. "You know the… Sandman… probably has his own agenda."

Sai's words were followed by a long silence, while Itachi wondered just why would the Kazekage bother with his shinobi's personal life. It sounded as if the Kazekage was unusually involved in this relationship between Sakura and his shinobi, something which he had not accounted for in his considerations. Unless, of course, there was something more to the situation. Perhaps Ryo was a close relation, which would complicate matters a little.

And then Sakura asked in a terse voice, "You'd better tell me what you mean by that."

Itachi heard a shuffle, probably from Sai adjusting his position.

"It's about the bonds Dickless taught me. Ryo has strong bonds with you, Dickless and the Scarecrow. So, if the Sandman maintains a strong bond with Ryo, he secures a strong alliance with our village."

"Oh. That."

Itachi frowned at what had just been said. Yes, when viewed from that angle, it make sense for the Kazekage to encourage a good relation between his own shinobi and Konoha's top operatives if he wished for a strong alliance. His instinct, however, told him that there was more at play here.

"You'd better sleep, Hag. You look terrible."

"Ugh! You're really asking for it."

"Well, won't want you to be too tired when we reach our destination tomorrow. You'll scare them away with your ugly face."

"You…" Sakura growled menacingly. "Don't say anything if you don't have anything nice to say."

"Been a while since you were last there, right?" Sai asked blithely.

Silence followed Sai's question, and Itachi waited intently for her respond.

"Yeah. Six years."

"Looking forward to seeing the place again?"

Sakura sighed, long and loud. "I really don't know. I really don't know."

The combined wistfulness, the longing and the sadness in her tone made Itachi realize that he had indeed succeeded in forcing Sakura to recall their past intimately. However, the tone of her voice unsettled him. He did not wish to hear the sadness in her voice in relation to their relationship.

All he had to do now was to wait and see if she recalled how happy they had been before everything fell apart.

000

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000

Sakura inhaled deeply, allowing the earthy scent of rich minerals to fill her lungs as she walked through the forest. A feeling of serenity enveloped her as she mentally embraced her surroundings. It was a familiar scent which accompanied the familiar terrain.

And it also brought back memories that she did not wish to dredge up.

Memories of a very happy time in her life before the illusion had been so cruelly shattered by a pair of blood-red Sharingan.

She scowled darkly at the thought. Itachi had probably assigned her this mission just to play with her mind. It was the sort of thing he would do, after all. The man had no end of psychological tricks up his sleeve.

What he had not considered was that she had come to terms with that time in her life. Even though she did not want to rehash the past with Itachi, she was no longer trying to pretend it had never happened, the way she had done the first year or so after she had left Yugakure to live in Suna.

Gaara, in an almost sick and twisted way, had yanked each and every bit of the painful events out of her, making her face it in broad daylight, much to his sibling's disapproval. The only thing she had not gone into was Itachi's true identity. She had only told Gaara that Itachi was a missing nin from a minor country. She had lied, and she knew that the Kazekage knew that she had done so, but fortunately, he had not pushed her on that particular point. He probably had no interest in where Itachi had hailed from in the first place.

Yeah, she thought with a shake of the head, smiling as she did so. Gaara had sure played a major part in yanking her out of her misery all those years ago. His excuse had been that he wanted her functional, for her to pay for her stay with her medical knowledge, not lying in a useless heap in her room in Suna.

A couple of black, inked mice appeared before them, breaking Sakura's train of thought. Sai did not even slow as the mice ran from the ground straight up his arms and then to his ears. They had been sent to scout ahead earlier.

"We are almost there," Sai announced suddenly.

"Understood," Sakura acknowledged in chorus with her other two teammates.

Kakashi had sent Yugakure a message announcing their visit, and Yugakure had given them a pass. But even with that, Sakura hoped that none of Yugakure's patrol would attack them before they delivered their package.

Half an hour later, the familiar wooden gates of Yugakure came into sight. For a moment, Sakura's steps faltered as she took in the familiar sight. She had stayed there close to two years, after all, and the place did hold some memories for her.

When they came upon the gates, four Yugakure shinobi stood in a line, facing them. Much to Sakura's surprise, the friendly smiles she had been expecting did not materialize. Instead, these shinobi looked like they were all business.

One of them stepped forward, the leader of this team of sentries, she presumed.

"Identify yourself," he barked.

Sai told him mildly, extending the paper pass outwards. "We're Konoha nins, here to deliver an item to your leader. You should have received a message to inform you of this."

The Yugakure nin nodded. "Very well." And then he stood aside. "We will escort you to our leader."

"We will remain here," Sai countered blandly. "Our task is simply to deliver this item to your leader."

The shinobi nodded. "Well, I'll pass on the message. Wait here."

And the sentry turned to enter the guarded compound through the tall gates, leaving them with three other sentries which Sakura did not recognize. It had been so many years since she had last been there, so that was hardly surprising.

What surprised her was the professional air emanated by these sentries. Before she had left Yugakure six years ago, the shinobi there was rather relaxed in their tasks, nothing like those before them now. Something had obviously changed within the shinobi structure of Yugakure, but what?

"Almost over," Idate murmured, cricking his neck, making it pop.

Kouga darted a look at him. "You in a rush to get back to training?"

"Not here, you two," Sakura warned, her mind still half on the change in the Yugakure shinobi. Their team leader would know more about it, she supposed, turning to him. "Tiger?" she called out quietly, so that the sentries could not hear her.

Sai slid her a quick look through his mask. "Yes?"

"What's Yugakure's stance on this war? I know they're supposed to be neutral, but what do you think?"

Sai said nothing for a moment, and then he responded, "They are most likely against Konoha."

"Against," Sakura echoed thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"Nothing. When I was based here, things were a little different. They don't seem the type to want to go to war with anyone, let alone major villages. But I suppose since Danzou had invaded Spring Country those years ago, they could be pretty unhappy with us."

Sai nodded once, but before he could say anything, the tall gates to Yugakure swung open slowly to reveal the shinobi who had gone in earlier. He stepped up to them, his expression neutral as he gestured back towards the village.

"Our leader will be here shortly to greet you."

As soon as Sai nodded in acknowledgement, another person stepped through the opening of the gates. Sakura's eyes immediately widened in surprise at his appearance of the pale pink haired shinobi with purple eyes.

The last time she had seen him was in Suna.

Sakura felt her defenses rise as he came closer to them. Although he was wearing a welcoming smile and his posture was non-threatening, there was an unmistakable aura of danger emanating from him, an aura which had not been present when she had last seen him. Now, there was just something intimidating about him, which made people stop and look at him and be instantly wary of what he could do to them.

"Welcome to Yugakure," he greeted smoothly, his eyes landing on her. "And welcome home, little cousin."

000

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 6**

"And welcome home, little cousin."

Sakura just barely managed to stifle the gasp that threatened to escape her lips, as surprised as she was by the way he had addressed her. She knew from the last time they had met that they were most likely related, but she had not known that they were cousins.

Furthermore, she was a little surprised that he could identify her, seeing that she was wearing her full ANBU gear, complete with her mask and the black fitting hat covering her distinctive hair. The only way he could have identified her was by her chakra signature, and that suggested that he had memorized it from their one single meeting all those years ago. That was just a little frightening.

And what the hell was going on anyway? Why was he here? Was this man really the leader of Yugakure now? Because the last time she was here, the leader was Kobayashi Hikari, a mild shinobi who was more suited to a civilian life than one leading a shinobi village.

The moment she met the steely, purple eyes of this new leader of Yugakure, Sakura knew immediately that he was nothing like his predecessor. This new leader of Yugakure was someone to be wary of. And what was more disturbing was the fact that he had Shinju blood running through his veins, which meant that he had more control over the powerful Shinjutama than she had ever had.

Who knew what he would do with the gemstone?

"You seemed surprised to see me, Sakura. Why?" he asked silkily.

Sakura felt her teammates shift ever so slightly at the question, and knew without doubt that their guards were clearly up. They clearly sensed the growing tension in her. Hell, there was no way she could disguise the way her body was strung taut with a mix of caution and trepidation at the potential danger they were facing.

"Sakura?" Sai prompted. "You know him?"

The unpleasant mix of emotions were still present within her as she studied the man's pale pink, almost translucent hair and his purple eyes so much like her mothers, before she slowly said, "We've met once in Suna, about six years ago when the leader of Yugakure was Kobayashi Hikari."

"Aa. That's right." The pale-haired man smiled then, a deceptively mild curve of his lips. "Kobayashi handed over the reins to me just a couple of years ago." Turning to the rest, he murmured, "Ah, how remiss of me. I believe we haven't been introduced. I'm Shiraishi Kenji."

Sai stepped forward, bending at the waist, executing a respectful bow. "Shiraishi-sama," he greeted.

As Sakura watched silently, Sai presented the wooden, cylindrical container he had been carrying to the leader of Yugakure with both hands. "This is a gift from Konoha. You will find a letter within as well."

Reaching out, Shiraishi accepted the gift with a curt incline of his head. "Please relay my appreciation to your Hokage. He is most generous."

"I will do so," Sai said, backing away from him. "Now that our task is complete, we will make our way back to Konoha."

"You're more than welcomed to rest in Yugakure," Shiraishi offered.

Sai shook his head. "We have orders to return immediately."

And Sakura was more than glad for that order, because, frankly, Shiraishi unnerved her. There was something about him that she could not quite put her finger on, but it felt wrong to her, making her feel like she needed to put a lot of distance between them.

Shiraishi's eyes landed on her then. "Perhaps you, Sakura, wish to visit your old acquaintances in Yugakure? They still speak of you fondly."

Sakura was thankful that she had her mask to hide behind, as uncomfortable as she was under his intense regard. "My apologies, Shiraishi-sama. But I have my orders to return to Konoha."

He nodded slowly. "I see. It's a shame that you're not able to stay. We could have many things to discuss."

"Perhaps some other time, Shiraishi-sama," she responded steadily, although that was the last thing she felt.

"Surely there is no need for such formality between us," he chided mildly. "We are cousins. You may address me as Kenji."

She only nodded, figuring that it was the safest response she could give him at the moment. Much to her relief, Shiraishi took his attention off her, and swept his eyes over the rest of the masked ANBU squad.

"I wish you a safe return journey to Konoha."

"Thank you, Shiraishi-sama," Sai said, and then turned to them. "Let's go."

And with that, the four of them backtracked away from the tall gates of Yugakure. Once they broke through the forest line, they took to the trees. Sakura bit her lips nervously, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulders at the village they had just left as she streaked forward along with her teammates. The encounter had left her rather shaken, and she could not help but wonder how this change in leadership of Yugakure would affect this war.

But then again, Shiraishi Kenji had been in power for the last two years and nothing terrible had happened. So maybe she was worrying in vain. Maybe Shiraishi had no intention of joining the war, and was content to remain neutral until it was over.

Somehow, she found it hard to even convince herself of that.

Sighing in exasperation when she realized that her thoughts were going nowhere, Sakura shoved them to the back of her mind and focused on her surroundings instead. The trees were thinning down as they travelled and the emergence of patches of granular soil dotting the ground below indicated that they were nearing Wind Country.

Her thoughts immediately turned to Ryo as it always did when Suna or Wind Country came to mind, and a smile played at the corner of her lips when she recalled how happy he had been when she last visited. They had spent the week catching up on what they had been up to, but she had watched her words, mindful of what Kakashi had warned her of. Ryo had shown no such reservations, however. At least, none that she had noticed. She had listened intently while he told her of his latest exploits, but masked her regret that she was not there beside him to see it with her own eyes.

Lost in her thoughts of Ryo while keeping her eyes and ears open for potential hazards, Sakura continued to travel in silence. The newly sprouted leaves blurred past her until there were no longer any trees for them to travel through and they had to move on ground.

It was only after they had crossed the border into Wind Country that Idate broke the silence.

"That bastard gave me the chills back there."

"You're referring to Yugakure's new leader, I assume," Kouga muttered.

"Yeah," Idate confirmed.

Sai nodded. "He is dangerous."

Sakura grimaced at her teammate's observation. "I felt it too," she admitted quietly.

"He is obviously powerful." Sai slid a look at her, and she could see the gleam of question in his dark eyes through the holes of his tiger mask. "And he's your cousin."

"I just found out." Her tone was dry.

"You didn't know he is the leader of Yugakure?" Sai asked.

She shook her head. "I told you, it was different before when I was there. Different leader, different type of shinobi. Nothing like what we've just encountered. And like I said, I only met him once."

"Six years ago in Suna, you said," Kouga muttered. "What happened then?"

The details were not known to everyone, but she was not trying to hide anything as far as this topic was concerned. Still, there were elements of it that had to be censored. So she told them the abridged version. "Well, you know about me and my Shinju blood, right? Well, back then, Danzou wanted me to continue working on the Shinjutama, but Suna wanted me to handle some stuff I'd been working on earlier. Well, Danzou found out that I was helping Tsunade and ordered ANBU Root to interrogate me. I escaped to Suna. I don't know all the details, but Danzou and Gaara made a deal in the end, and Gaara exchanged Shiraishi for me. At that time, Shiraishi was living in Suna, and to be honest, I was really surprised that he even existed because I thought the clan was extinct."

"How did he end up in Suna?"

She shrugged as she continued to move across the sandy terrain. "I'm not sure. The Shinju clan was a target in the Ninja War a while ago. So I'm guessing his parents must have escaped from Yugakure." Like her mother. "And then sought refuge in Suna." Whereas her mother had travelled further to Konoha and met her father. Or perhaps her father had met her mother on one of his missions and brought her back with him.

"Makes sense, I suppose," Idate mumbled. "So, Shiraishi took your place in Yugakure six years ago, working for Danzou. Until two years ago."

"The timing fits. The moment Danzou was eliminated, he took control of Yugakure," Kouga added thoughtfully.

She grimaced, even though no one could see it through her mask. "Without Danzou and the threat of Root hanging over his head, Shiraishi must have gone right up to Kobayashi and took Yugakure just like that. Because as far as I know, Kobayashi was not the type to fight back."

"Isn't that around the same time this idiot was called back to Konoha?" Kouga asked, nudging at Idate.

Sakura turned just in time to see Idate streak to the side to shove his new ANBU teammate roughly, snarling at the laughing Kouga, "Who the hell are you calling an idiot? And for your information, I was already working for Konoha a few years before that, gathering supporters for Tsunade's coup."

"Kakashi and Naruto recruited him from his cushy civilian life. They decided that it was about time Idate made good of his genin skills," Sakura piped up, grinning at the dark-haired younger sibling of Morino Ibiki.

Idate snorted. "I might not have taken the chuunin exams then, but I assure you I'm a whole lot better than the average genin. Still, I didn't want to get mixed up in this whole de-throne Danzou coup. But they insisted."

"But now you're glad that you agreed, huh?"

Idate only grunted, refusing to answer the question. Instead, he asked her, "You came back to Konoha right after Kakashi became Hokage, didn't you?"

She nodded, recalling how she had felt so torn between Konoha and Ryo then. "I could have come home earlier, I guess, but I really didn't want to. Not with Danzou around."

"I wouldn't have either," Kouga said darkly. "Those times in Konoha… it's best not to think too much about it."

"Well, you're back now, Hag."

She shot a warning look at Sai, forgetting rather belatedly that he could not see her expression, and in turn, received his masked visage in response. Sometimes, she could almost swear that he called her that stupid nickname just to get a rise out of her.

"Shut up and get us home," she muttered, turning away from him.

"Aw, isn't it sweet how they flirt," Idate teased.

Kouga snorted. "I'm not saying anything."

"What, afraid that she's punch you through the wall?" Idate prodded.

"I'm still here, you know," she announced dryly.

Ignoring her, Kouga and Idate continued to bicker harmlessly. Sakura simply shook her head in resignation and then grinned behind her mask as she continued to travel on.

000

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000

Kakashi squinted slightly at the jar of sake with the cup beside it, both delicately decorated with paintings of some leaves. Or birds. Something of that sort.

Oh, wait. Hang on. He could have sworn that those objects had just doubled up for a second there. Maybe it was time he stopped drinking. How much had he downed, anyway? It occurred to him then that perhaps it was not a good idea for a Hokage to be seen drunk in a bar, even though it was with his friends.

Talk about friends...

He glanced around the dimly lit venue to find that said friends had gone off somewhere else. Gai, dressed in his trademark green bodysuit, stood out even though he was some distance away. And he could almost hear Anko's shrill laughter over the buzz of conversation in the crowded space.

But the rest? Some friends they were, leaving him here to drown in the sake.

He returned his gaze to the table. Ah, Rin was still there with him. Nice, dependable Rin. He was so happy that she was back in Konoha. All those years of mourning, thinking that she was dead, it was all a pointless waste of time, now that he thought about it. Idly, he wondered what she would think of some of the things he had said to the engraving of her name on the memorial stone.

"Kakashi? Are you alright?"

Her concerned features swam briefly before it came into focus. Waving a dismissive hand about, he chuckled. "Never better."

She frowned slightly, her dark brows drawing closer. "Right. Maybe we should leave."

"Maybe." He beamed. "Probably not good to have a drunken Hokage running around, ne?"

"Wouldn't be worse than Tsunade, bless her soul," Rin muttered as she stood up. Reaching an arm around him, she ordered, "Alright. Get up. You need to go home."

"You're coming with me?" he asked, getting to his feet rather unsteadily. Whoa, perhaps he really did have a little too much to drink.

"How else are you going to get home?" she groused. "You'll probably fall flat on your face halfway down the street."

"You've got a point."

Rin helped him out of the bar, her arm threading around his chest to provide him with some support as they pushed past the drunken mass of shinobi and civilians. Once they neared the door, he spotted Genma with a pretty young thing, and attempted to wave at them, only his arm refused to cooperate.

Oh, this was bad, he thought as they stumbled out of the door.

The moment the chilly fresh air hit his face, Kakashi sighed in relief. It was helping to clear his head, making it easier for him to focus. Shaking his head, he promised himself not to agree to another drinking match with Gai. But then again, the man had the knack of driving him to do stupid things in the name of friendly rivalry.

It did not take long for them to reach the new residential structure behind the administration building. Tenzou had erected it after Pein's invasion, and it was made just right for a Hokage; close enough to the office, and well protected by boundary walls reinforced with protective jutsu.

Ah, Tenzou, Kakashi thought a little sadly. If only the man was still alive.

Rin quickly disabled the security around his home, before ushering him into the grounds. She was one of the handful of people he gave permission to enter his abode. Understandable, really, since she was one of his most precious people and the only remaining part of his past.

And now, he wanted to ensure that she remained firmly stuck in his future.

He blinked rapidly when he realized the direction his thoughts had taken. Hell, how much sake had he downed? It was not like him to mull over such things, he thought as they entered the house. The lights flickered on, making him blink and stumble slightly.

Rin's hold on him immediately tightened. He turned to stare at her, and felt his heart thump harder when he noted that they were so close that he could smell her breath. It was sweet and fruity, something like strawberries. Probably from the drinks she had earlier that night.

"Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

Her liquid brown eyes scanned his face for a moment before she let out an exasperated sound. And then she pushed him down onto the couch. His eyes never left her as she pressed a pair of glowing hands to his stomach, causing him to suck in a sharp breath when the warmth of her chakra entered him.

"I'm helping the alcohol to break down faster," she told him as she worked.

Soon, much to his relief, his head felt less woozy and his limbs began to function properly again. There was no way he would accept another challenge from Gai. It usually did not end well. But still, at least this time, it resulted in Rin being there in his house nursing him. Which was not a bad thing, right?

The only thing missing was a cute short nurse uniform on the woman. Ah, the image was priceless, he thought.

"Kakashi."

His eye snapped up guiltily away from her chest to find her scowling at him. "Ah, eye just… wandered," he admitted sheepishly.

"I can tell," she replied dryly.

Before he knew it, she had placed a cup of steaming tea in his hands. "Drink," she ordered.

"So bossy," he muttered under his breath, but he obeyed.

She rested against the couch and sipped her own tea. For a long while, they simply sat beside each other in companionable silence. He could get used to this, Kakashi thought.

"I could never have imagined that you'd be the Hokage one day," she suddenly mentioned.

"Ah… Not much choice in that, I'm afraid. Lack of suitable candidates and all that."

Her lips curled up in a smile. "You're doing good, though."

Kakashi sighed, slumping further into the couch. "I'm waiting for Naruto to take over. Which is hopefully soon. I can't believe he turned it down back then. He must be more mature than most of us give him credit for if he could admit that he was not ready."

"Talk about Naruto, where is he, anyway? Haven't seen him around."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as the reality of the war returned to the forefront of his mind. "Those minor shinobi villages are still at it. So I sent him out to deal with it. He's out scoping for intruders with a jounin team."

"Eh?" Rin frowned. "Isn't he ANBU?"

Kakashi nodded. "Long story."

Rin shrugged carelessly. "So, how are things going with the new ANBU captain you were telling me about some time back?" she asked, taking another sip of her drink.

"Oh? Uchiha Itachi, you mean?"

She nodded. "I was surprised to see him when he brought Sakura into the hospital that day."

Kakashi glanced sharply at her. "Surprised? Why?"

"I knew him… from before."

Before? This was getting stranger by the moment. But then again, both of them had been away from Konoha for more than a decade. They could have met up at some point. Cautiously, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know I was stationed in Spring Country all this time, right?" At his nod, she continued, "Well, he came to live as a civilian in the same village."

His eye widened in surprise. "When was that?"

Rin waved a hand about. "He lived there for about a year before Tsunade and Shizune found me. And then, a year or so later, he introduced Sakura to me."

"I see." He frowned in contemplation. That was unexpected. "You didn't recognize him then, I take it?"

Rin shook her head. "Not as Uchiha Itachi, no. He looks very different from what he looks like now. And I left Konoha long before the entire massacre thing. For a start, he shaved off all his hair. And he's a little heavier, softer, then as well. Life as a civilian can do that, I suppose."

"He was using an alias?"

"Nakamura Itsuki."

Kakashi frowned, knowing that he had come across that name before somewhere. But at the moment, he simply could not place it. Perhaps tomorrow, he would ask Shikamaru about it. Most things that he had seen usually passed by Shikamaru first. The strategist probably could remember where the name came from.

What was curious was the fact that Sakura had known him back then. But like Rin, she probably had not recognized the Uchiha. It was not that surprising, he supposed. If he recalled correctly, Sakura had only encountered the missing nin once before, when she was fifteen, and that was just Itachi's body replacement heavily cloaked in the Akatsuki outerwear.

Perhaps this could explain some of the animosity his ex-student had for the ANBU captain. It was no longer only about Sasuke, but probably something that had happened between them in the past.

Perhaps she had discovered his deceit and was mad about it? But if that was the case, Sakura would have reported that Uchiha Itachi was alive a long time ago. And yet, she had not, which meant that either she had not known of his true identity, or Sakura had deliberately withheld the information from Konoha. The latter would explain Sakura's reluctance to talk about those years she had left Yugakure to stay in Suna.

Kakashi groaned inwardly. "Sakura, what have you gotten yourself into?" he muttered under his breath.

"Kakashi?"

He turned to find Rin looking attentively at him. "What?"

"Really, I don't think Sakura knew his real identity at that time." Her expression turned firmer. "Besides, she's hardly the traitorous type."

"I know." Expelling a long breath, he made up his mind to check on. But later, not now. "Well, that's all in the past, I guess."

"Yes."

"I'm tired."

"Then rest."

Kakashi allowed himself to slide sideways then, ending up with his head on Rin's lap. The woman simply smiled as she reached out to stroke his hair. Bliss, he thought as he closed his eyes.

Yeah, he could very well get used to this.

000

* * *

000

Sakura sighed as she darted a longing glance backwards. They had just passed Suna several hours ago, but despite the temptation, she had not given in to the urge to drop by. It would be too short, too unsatisfactory.

So she had moved straight on, heading in the direction of Fire Country. They were still surrounded by sand and the landscape was still pretty monotonous apart from the occasional outcrops of rocks, cacti and scrubs. Many years ago, she would have probably grumbled about the arid air and the sand that was scraping between her toes, but things had changed since then. After living in Suna for almost four years, she was quite used to it.

Suddenly, a pinprick of prickly sensation at the back of her neck broke into her thoughts.

Instantly, her guard went up, and her fingers flexed in preparation for a battle even though her swift movements across the sand underfoot did not slow. Surreptitiously, she expanded her sense wider in the attempt to identify the threat, but the only thing she could discern was the fact that there were eight of them. Two teams.

Which meant that they meant business.

Flicking a quick glance diagonally to the left in front of her, she recognized the subtle change in Sai's chakra, a sure sign that he knew that they had company. She sure hoped that Idate and Kouga had noticed it as well. Because, she had a bad feeling that things were going to get ugly. Their pursuers seemed to be gaining on them as well.

Then she felt it.

The enemy was not yet visible, but she could sense their attacks heading her way. She exchanged a quick look with Sai, only to have him incline his head sharply at her, a signal for her to deal with it.

She executed a diagonal backflip as the projectile sped through the space she had been occupying just a fraction of a second ago, as the rest of the ANBU team sped ahead. The first round of projectiles, which she had identified as senbon, was quickly followed by several others, streaking through the air towards her. Her hands came up then, fingers dancing to form the necessary seals.

"Fuuton: Kamaitaichi!"

She sliced the blade of her glowing hand in a horizontal arc. The burst of wind, imbued with her chakra, rushed outwards like a large invisible blade, knocking the flights of enemy senbon off their trajectories.

And then the enemy nins materialized from all directions, all eight of them, standing in a large circle surrounding their ANBU squad. They were obviously foreign, as she had not seen their tight black attire before, nor the strip of black fabric bisecting their faces horizontally over their noses to disguise them, leaving only their eyes and lips visible. Their lack of headband suggested that they were rogue nins.

Did these shinobi have a dead wish, attacking ANBU like this?

"Who are you?" Sai asked mildly.

"No one you know," one of them responded.

"What do you want?"

One of them let out a bark of mirthless laughter. "Fight first, then I'll decide if you should know the answer to that."

With a burst of chakra, the eight rogue nins spread out, blurring in different directions.

A moment later, a fireball closed in on her, forcing her to move. She somersaulted out of the way, landing on a nearby rock only to find another fireball heading that way. Lips thinning in irritation, she quickly executed a replacement technique, swapping with a log, which immediately caught fire upon contact with the fireball.

Before she managed to land, however, a burning pain shot through her. She flicked a glance to her left arm, noting that she had miscalculated and one fireball had managed to graze her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Sai holding off two of the enemy nins with his ink beasts, while Idate was streaking back and forth in his unique high speed taijutsu, and Kouga was no longer in human form, having executed the transformation jutsu to turn him into a sleek black mountain cat.

Secure in the knowledge that they could handle things at their end, she refocused her attention to her own opponents. Working together, both rogue nins executed some unfamiliar seals, and the air crackled with chakra as the wind jutsu from one and fire jutsu from the other merged. There was a spark of recognition then, something which seemed awfully familiar to her despite the unfamiliar jutsu, but she could not identify it.

Then her eyes widened when the fireball grew at an unnatural speed before it flew straight at her. Sakura drew back her hand and released a chakra-filled palm to the ground, causing a wall of sand to erupt upwards, blocking the attack before it could reach her. The attack was too close, she realized, close enough that she could feel the heat burning against her exposed skin through the sand wall. As the fire fizzled out with a good amount of black smoke, she released the jutsu.

These were not low level nins, she decided grimly. They were at least jounin-level, based on that jutsu. She had felt the amount of chakra they had utilized for the attack, and it was not small. She would be surprised if they had enough chakra for a few more of that level of attacks, though.

Still, it would not do to lower her guard.

She had barely finished her thoughts when both of them charged at her. One threw a handful of tagged kunai at her, and her eyes widened as she leapt backwards just as they exploded all around. It was a basic move, but effective, as she was now blinded by the smoke surrounding her and thus, vulnerable.

Knowing that it would be suicidal to stay still, Sakura moved to the right, away from where she had been. They would attack there first, she knew. The urge to cough and sneeze as the smoke ran into her nostrils was strong, but she resisted. The situation was probably not as bad as it seemed, because her opponents were surely affected by the smoke as well.

Still, it was best that she protected herself before she worked to get rid of at least one of them first. Fighting two at the same time was more dangerous.

Crouching down to minimize exposure, she quickly concentrated her chakra to her whole body, and waited until the ticklish, creepy feeling enveloped the entirety of her being, even under her ANBU mask, as the grains of sand moved over her skin. The sensation was unpleasant, and it weighed her down, but for the moment, she had to deal with it. For the thin layer of sand stuck to her skin like a full-body armor could very well save her life. And she had to thank Gaara for this.

Only then did she straighten to her feet, silently drawing her katana from its sheath as she moved stealthily in the fog of smoke. It would not do to blindly hurl techniques outwards, because she might hit her own teammates, so it'd have to be close-quarter techniques.

A flicker of chakra was the only warning she had before the next attack came.

She spun to her left, blocking a downward swipe of kunai with the blunt end of her katana and then winced as her opponent managed to slash the tip of his other kunai across her right hip. He was fast, she realized, and once again, she was assaulted by a flare of something which seemed quite familiar. However. knowing that this was no time to be splitting her focus, she pushed the notion to the back of her mind.

Ignoring the pain of the wound, she twisted closer to her attacker. Without pause, she delivered an unrestrained chakra-enhanced kick, almost grinning in satisfaction when it connected hard with flesh, snapping the bone underneath, eliciting a broken gasp from her target as he flew away from her.

That would hurt, and keep him down for a while.

Deciding that it was time to confront the other one, she went through a series of seals and brought her hands to her mouth.

"Fuuton: Daitoppa!"

A gust of wind exploded outwards, clearing the area, revealing that the nin she had hit earlier was now sprawled unconscious on the ground some distance away. Unlike him, however, his partner was fully conscious. He was standing about ten feet away, watching her warily.

"Impressive," he rasped, widening his stance.

"Want to try it?" she asked mockingly.

He did not seem too worried about the demise of his partner when he said, "He was rash. Always have been."

She quirked her brow, and then asked, "Are you here to talk or to fight?"

"Neither, actually," he told her evenly.

"Then what do you want?" she asked, annoyed.

His lips curved under the black strip of cloth. "You."

Her eyes widened in surprise. What the hell? He could not mean that. The bastard was probably just trying to get under her skin. Outwardly, she released a derisive snort. "Keep dreaming, idiot," she snarled, charging at him with a chakra-enhanced fist.

The shinobi's dark blue eyes, visible over the strip of black, narrowed at the insult as he jumped backwards, away from her punch. "You are rather rude."

"So?" Sakura mocked, sliding her hand into her weapons pouch to withdraw three shuriken, clamped between her fingers.

"Someone should teach you manners."

Her only answer was to fling the handful of shuriken at him. As she had anticipated, he ducked, and in that fraction of a second, she called forth another wind jutsu.

"Fuuton: Sakura Chirimai!"

The air around her shifted, speeding up until a vortex of wind was formed, pink blossoms swirling densely within. It served to disorientate and blind one's enemy, and Sakura hoped that it did its job this time as she slid past the distraction to direct a glowing fist at the shadowy form of her target.

Much to her satisfaction, her attack collided against him, throwing him back. She took the opportunity to quickly check on the rest of her team, only to find with no small amount of perplexity that they were _still _fighting against two opponents each. Sai was growing weary, as evidenced by the less vicious state of his beasts. Kouga had released his cougar form, and was now fighting in his natural body, meaning that his chakra had at least halved. And Idate, who barely ever grew weary despite all that streaking around, was actually slowing down. The battle had clearly taken a lot out of them, and more than usual.

And then her eyes narrowed when she realized that their opponents were completely unharmed. The realization was baffling to say the least. What the hell? Surely they must have gotten a hit or two in after so long?

But she did not have time to ponder further, for both her opponents appeared to be reviving, each trying to get to their feet now. Deciding that she had to get rid of all of them _now_, or at least weaken them greatly with this final technique she had, she brought her hands together.

It was not a jutsu she could use often, because firstly, there was not always this much sand around for her to use and unlike Gaara, she did not carry a gourd around with her. Also, the technique itself was a little too cruel for her tastes, although the shinobi in her had to admit that it was useful at times. And last but not least, she knew that it would wipe out most of her chakra, leaving her at the mercy of her enemies if the technique failed. So if she decided to use it, she had to make sure it disabled every single opponent.

There was no time to over-think it now, she decided. The seals were executed quickly, and then she dropped to her knees, flattening her palms to the hot gritty ground. Almost immediately, the particles shifted under her hands and she could feel the jutsu take effect as the sand rippled towards her opponent.

But it was too slow, too sluggish. She simply did not have enough chakra for this jutsu, which meant that she could either drop her sand armor, or use the Shinjutama she had embedded in her body. If she dropped her sand armor, she would be left vulnerable. But is she used the Shinjutama… well, she just did not like to use it.

It was not much of a choice, really, if she wanted to carry on with the technique.

Grimacing, she focused on drawing the stored energy from the Shinjutama fragments embedded within her. The Shinjutama-powered chakra, fresh and pure, rose within her greedily, almost overwhelming her with its strength. Each time she used it, the power seemed to grow stronger, and the temptation to use it again and again was always there when she found herself in a tight spot. It was addictive, and the possibility that she might become reliant on it scared her, making her place a limit on its use.

Around her, the ripples in the sand grew more defined as she took control.

By now, her enemies were already on their feet, and at the approach of the waves of sand, they began to leap around to avoid it. But Sakura knew that they could not stay off the ground for long, and there was nothing out here that they could jump up and seek refuge in. So she kept her hands to the ground, manipulating the sand, spreading its influence wider as her three teammates ran towards her in the clear paths she had left them. Even with the enhancement from the Shinjutama, the technique was painfully slow, as she did not possess Gaara's level of skill to match his speed or range.

"Watch out!"

Hands still fixed to the surface of the sand, Sakura did not bother to look at Idate. The reason for his warning became clear when something slammed into her sand armor, and bounced off harmlessly. Several more attack came from the enemy nins, who were trying to make their way towards her to disable the sand attack, but she held fast.

"Shit! That armor…"

"Let her be," came Sai's warning as he closed the distance between them, pressing his back against hers and the other two flanked her sides. "She can handle this."

She had to thank Sai sometimes for his vote of confidence in her skills. They had been on enough missions together for him to know her strengths and weaknesses, she supposed, unlike Idate who was new to working with her.

Tightening her focus, she directed the influence of her chakra towards the group of rogue nins. She might not be able to kill them off, with her strength spread out like this, but at least she would be able to disable them. As it was, she had never attempted this jutsu at this scale before. Her arms were already trembling from the strain, and she felt her chakra depleting far too rapidly for her liking. She needed to end this. Now.

The sand groaned and hissed and rippled, forcing the eight enemy nins to dance around, increasingly agitated and irked that they were not able to escape it. Keeping her hands planted to the ground and ignoring the sweat that was now dripping from her forehead into her eyes, she concentrated harder, willing the sand to reach out higher and further.

And then it happened.

With a large surge of chakra, eight thin columns of sand shot upward at their respective targets.

And muffled their targets horrified cries as the particles slid into the nostrils and mouths, and travel down to their lungs, blocking their airway.

Sakura felt a rush of heady power, as she had done the last couple of times she used the Shinjutama as the enemy nins choked and coughed, before they finally succumbed to suffocation, and fell lifeless to the ground.

Only then did she remove her palms from the ground, and with a dizzying sensation, felt the Shinjutama's powers recede, leaving her weak and drained.

By the time the back of her head hit the body behind her, her eyes were already shut. Surrounded by darkness, all she wanted to do was to sleep for a long, long time.

"Hag?"

Someone was shaking her, and with a great amount of effort, she peeled her eyes open.

"Uh…" she groaned.

"I thought I told you not to use this technique again," someone intoned in a flat voice.

Sai's face swam over hers, slowly coming into focus, and she grimaced as she tried to sit up. Her limbs felt like water, and she realized rather belatedly that the technique had taken more from her that she had anticipated. Hell, even with the help of the Shinjutama, she had drained herself dry of chakra, she supposed. Something a medic nin should never do.

"R-Rogue nins?" she managed to ask, fighting off the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Sai responded in his usual bland manner, "All dead."

"Finally." Relief swept over her as she closed her eyes. And then when she recalled why she had resorted to that technique and the use of the Shinjutama, she scowled. "What the hell was going on with your opponents? They all seemed unaffected by the battle."

"There's something strange about them. None of our attacks connected with them," Kouga remarked, sounding mystified.

Idate added, equally puzzled, "It's almost like they have a barrier around themselves. They were only affected by you."

"I noticed," she responded weakly as her vision blacked out briefly.

Something nudged at the back of her mind, but in her weakened state, she simply could not pinpoint what it was. Later. When she was a little bit more rested, she would think about it.

"Sakura?" Idate called out urgently, but his voice seemed to be fading.

It was growing dark again.

"Damn it!"

The last conscious thought she had was that she should have stolen more techniques from Gaara.

000

* * *

000

Itachi studied the eight chuunin seated at the long table silently, noting that each were concentrating on the scroll before them. Now that all the 'gifts' had left the ANBU and gone to their respective recipients, there was no longer any need for him or the other two to monitor them so closely. Therefore, the scrolls had been transferred out of the ANBU headquarters to the administration office, where these chuunin had just been allocated the task to monitor and record anything that they intercepted.

Turning away, Itachi closed the door behind him to make his way to the Hokage's office. He merely had to ascend two levels to reach his destination. It was time to report his findings to the Shichidaime, especially in light of what he suspected after Ibiki's interrogation of the injured ANBU.

The two guards who stood outside the Shichidaime's office gave him wary looks as he drew closer to the door. It bemused him that some things just never changed. The reaction of other shinobi to him had always been colored by caution even before the massacre, and had only become worse once he had become a missing nin.

Still, that was not a reason to neglect politeness, he thought as he inclined his head in greeting at them.

"Uchiha-san," they returned in subdued tones.

"I wish to see the Hokage," he told them.

They nodded, and then stepped aside to allow him to walk up to the door. He knocked twice, his chakra unmasked so that he could be identified, and waited for the Hokage's acknowledgement before he pushed the door open.

Stepping in and closing the door behind him, Itachi walked up to the Hokage. Kakashi was seated behind his desk with an orange book in his hand. At his approach, the Copy Nin lowered the book and leaned forward.

"Just the person I wanted to see," he exclaimed.

"Hokage-sama," the Uchiha greeted.

"Wait a moment."

Itachi watched as the Shichidaime brought his hands together, his fingers moving fluidly as he performed the necessary seals to secure the room against spies. In moments, there was a subtle flare of chakra, and he knew that he could now speak freely.

"Your report?" Kakashi prompted.

There were many topics he wished to report to the Hokage today, so he decided to present the most critical one first. One which could affect Konoha's standing in this war.

"Yugakure is under the control of a new leader," Itachi told him.

Kakashi's brow furrowed slightly. "Oh? Was this a recent change?"

"Two years ago."

Looking thoughtful, the Copy-Nin murmured, "With everything that has been going on, Konoha haven't made contact with them until now, so it's not surprising that we have not heard the news first hand. However, it is strange that there were no rumors flying around since then."

"Indeed."

"What are your thoughts on it?"

Itachi considered his words before he spoke. "It's likely that new leader wishes to keep a low profile."

"I wonder why."

"There is no obvious reason for it, as far as I could tell." After a pause to consider the wisdom to relaying the next piece of information, and then subsequently deciding that Kakashi would eventually find out about it anyway, Itachi added, "You should also know that he is related to Sakura. They are cousins."

Kakashi blinked slowly. "Now that's interesting." After a moment of thoughtful silence, he asked, "He wouldn't happen to be Shiraishi Kenji, would he?"

"Yes. That is his name."

Although his brows were now furrowed in a small frown, Kakashi did not seem surprised at the confirmation. "Aa. The records show that Danzou had some… dealings with him."

Itachi fell silent as he observed the contemplative look on the Hokage's face. The Copy-Nin was clearly mulling over the new information, and Itachi wondered what he made of the situation. The fact that this shinobi had once dealt with Danzou most likely spelled trouble.

After a while, the Shichidaime broke the silence. "Yugakure used to be ruled by the Shinju clan, so I'm not too surprised that he went back to claim his place. The heir has returned at last. But why wait so long, I wonder. Why wait until two years ago to do it?"

Itachi explained, "Perhaps it is because Yugakure had not been a ninja village for many years. Hidan had spoken a little about the background of that village."

"Hidan. The Akatsuki Nara killed."

Itachi nodded. Hidan had not seen the need to keep his background a secret, and had often regaled whichever Akatsuki who happened to be around with tales of Yugakure in its prime, and then its subsequent downfall.

"Tell me what he told you," Kakashi instructed, leaning back against his chair and folding his arms over his chest.

"Very well." Itachi fell silent for a moment, deciding where to begin, and then he proceeded in a mild tone. "Yugakure began as a small secretive shinobi nation. It's main source of power was the Shinjutama, and the blood sacrifice practices associated with it, something which Hidan had learnt from and modified to suit his own purposes. The first time the village came out in the open was when the Ninja War occurred twenty to thirty years ago, the one which Konoha had been heavily involved in. The war had led to the supposed decimation of the Shinju clan. After the fall of the last Shinju leader, the village ceased its shinobi practices, deciding instead make the transition into a civilian village. This is partly because there is no one around to harvest their main strength, the Shinjutama. The new ruler, Kobayashi Hikari, did not possess the appropriate bloodline, and therefore, unable to do so. Hidan was… displeased by the transition, and in retaliation, had slaughtered most of the retired shinobi population."

"Most of the shinobi of an _entire_ village?" Kakashi asked, his visible eye wide.

Inclining his head, Itachi confirmed, "Yes. Hidan was rather… obsessive. However, I believe there is a handful who survived the massacre." Even the Uchiha clan had survivors, a small voice in his head added, but he pushed the unpleasant thought to the back of his mind.

"Hm. So, there was no shinobi village for Shiraishi to lead after that. At least not until that war Danzou started that forced Yugakure to begin its shinobi practices again." Kakashi grimaced. "But by then, it was too late, wasn't it?"

Itachi agreed. "One could not simply revive a shinobi village overnight, and hope to defend oneself against Danzou's well-trained ANBU Root."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "Yes. Sakura did mention that their shinobi was not very well versed in ninja-arts when she had been posted there."

He had encountered some of them after he and Sakura had parted ways, but they had been hardly dangerous. "Their general level was that of a genin, I'd understand."

"No wonder they lost to Konoha again," Kakashi muttered.

"Hm."

"So, Shiraishi had waited until Yugakure was populated with shinobi again, despite them being low-level shinobi, and for Danzou to disappear from the scene, before he made his move to reclaim his seat. I suspect he is looking to build up on their skills now, if he had not done so already." Kakashi's frown deepened, displaying his concern. "Yugakure is outwardly neutral for the moment, but I suppose that would change soon."

"I agree."

"And I suppose Shiraishi has access to the Shinjutama?"

"That is a safe assumption."

Kakashi sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Shikamaru needs to think up the possible scenarios relating to this. Yugakure could prove to be a significant threat. But for now, we'll move on to other issues." Inclining his head at a certain folder on his desk, he asked, "How is it going with the latest ANBU victim? Any further progress?"

"Perhaps. It would seem that our true suspect wishes to divert our attention to an innocent ANBU," Itachi explained. "The blood found on Asari belongs to Ishida Kazuki. I believe it has been planted."

"Ah… Ishida is the one you took off active duty, right?" Kakashi mused. "So, the real assassin wants us to think that Ishida was the one killing the others, and that now he had been taken off active duty, he is angry enough to retaliate."

Itachi nodded. "And that he was angry enough to slip and reveal himself."

"How did you arrive at this conclusion?"

"Ishida does not fit the profile. Besides, he does not possess the necessary skill set exhibited in the rest of the assassinations. Most importantly, it is too obvious. Too staged."

"What about the victim? You had her interrogated?"

"The result of the actual interrogation was rather interesting."

"How so?"

"I do not think Asari is as innocent as she seems."

Kakashi blinked slowly, as if something had just occurred to him then. A moment later, he stood up and walked towards a paneled wall. There, he pressed a glowing hand against a specific panel to reveal a hidden cabinet. Reaching into it, he withdrew a file. Itachi only watched silently as the Hokage brought the file back to the desk and sat down to peruse it. He recognized it as a background file on one of the ANBU operatives.

After a while, Kakashi's head lifted, and Itachi could see the hint of anger in the visible black eye.

"Asari had made it into ANBU less than two years ago. Her records prior to that were not exactly what one would call remarkable. She was an average shinobi at best." Kakashi's eye narrowed. "The timing coincides with the time Danzou was disposed, when things were not quite as organized as it should be. And I'm tempted to think that she might have some _help_ in getting into ANBU."

The direction of Kakashi's suppositions were completely in line with his, and Itachi inclined his head in agreement before saying, "I will instruct Ibiki to follow up on the interrogation."

"Keep her under lock-down." Kakashi's expression was grim when he added, "I'll have to go through the ANBU files more carefully now that this has come to light." A heavy sigh left him as he asked, "Is there anything else?"

"I have nothing further to report."

Kakashi tapped his fingers on the file, and then lifted his head to give him an assessing stare, which Itachi returned with an arch of the brow. Oddly enough, the Hokage's earlier anger seemed to be evaporating quite quickly.

"Is there something else, Hokage-sama?" he asked mildly.

"Actually, there is." Much to Itachi's consternation, the corner of Kakashi's eye crinkled as he continued, "It came to my attention that you knew Sakura before this."

Before this? Careful of his words, Itachi pointed out, "She was in a team with you and Naruto approximately nine years ago, battling my substitute."

"After that," Kakashi said a little too casually. "When she was posted in Yugakure."

"I believe I've informed you that we have met then."

"You also told me that she didn't know who you are."

"I was under disguise as a civilian."

"Nakamura Itsuki was your alias," Kakashi intoned, watching him carefully.

Itachi nodded, not too surprised that the Hokage knew about it. He was rather close to Rin, after all. However, when the Copy Nin reached under his desk for what looked like a report and slid it across the table to him, Itachi found his curiosity spiking.

"What is this?" he asked as he took the small stack of paper, which he now noted was a copy of an ANBU Root report. The name at the top of the page was unfamiliar.

"Look at the page four of the report."

Itachi turned to the relevant page and then scanned his contents. The recount of the events sounded familiar to him, and it did not take him long to pinpoint who was the ANBU who had made the report and when, even though close to seven years had passed since then.

The corner of Itachi's lips quirked in amusement as he recalled the event in question.

Opposite him, Kakashi leaned across the table with the most undignified expression of inquisitiveness that one could make out even through his mask, clearly eager to find out more about that particular time in the past. It was most unbefitting of a Hokage.

"So, you and Sakura were lovers, huh?"

000

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000


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Hello, everyone! Welcome back to the Return of the Heir. Yep, I'm starting to update this again, now that I've finished the sort-of prequel to this story (The Lost One). So, without further ado, here's chapter 7. Enjoy!

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 7**

"So, you and Sakura were lovers, huh?"

The Hokage's question was unexpected and it made Itachi tense inwardly at the potential invasion of his privacy. Outwardly, he remained calm, although he did not respond to the Shichidaime's question.

Instead, he asked his own, keeping his tone mild. "How is this relevant to our discussion?"

Kakashi smirked, leaning back against his chair in a relaxed pose. The anticipatory gleam in his eyes, however, betrayed the depth of his interest in this particular topic. "A Hokage has the right to be concerned about the welfare of his shinobi, don't you agree?"

"This topic is personal, surely," Itachi returned smoothly.

"Aa. But Uchiha, you know as well as I do that shinobi rarely divides personal and work. Our profession defines us."

Itachi simply inclined his head, deliberately keeping his response vague. He did not know if it was wise to confirm the Hokage's assumption, seeing that Kakashi had once been Sakura's team leader. From what he knew of them, Team Kakashi was a very close-knit team, and the Copy Nin was well known for his protective tendencies towards his teammates. Admitting to the Hokage's face that he and Sakura had an intimate relationship could cause unnecessary problems.

Opposite him, the Hokage continued to regard him silently as he began to drum his fingers against the surface of the wooden table, his single-eyed gaze penetrating in its intensity. This was more than casual curiosity, Itachi realized. So what was he looking to find?

Finally, the increasingly irritating drumming ceased, and the silver-haired man spoke. "Assuming that you and Sakura had been lovers…"

Itachi waited for him to continue.

"I have no objections if you wish to resume the interaction, as long as it does not affect your mission," he said casually.

Itachi kept his expression impassive, hiding his surprise. If it had been unclear before, it was clear now that Kakashi knew exactly why he had agreed to return to Konoha. And by his earlier words, the Copy Nin had essentially sanctioned his pursuit of Sakura. This was most unexpected.

Then, in an abrupt shift, Kakashi's single visible eye hardened, putting Itachi on edge immediately in response. The Shichidaime's words were uncompromising when he added, "But I'd advice against hurting her, emotionally, that is. Physically, she can handle herself, so I'm not so worried about that."

Itachi felt a surge of irritation at the Hokage's presumption, but his tone gave nothing away. "I have no intention of hurting her, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, but he did not seem surprised by those words. In fact, it was almost as if the Copy-Nin had expected it, which annoyed Itachi further. He truly did not wish to have someone, even if it was the Hokage, looking over his shoulder as he attempted to win Sakura back. And it would be just like Kakashi to do exactly that.

"Is that all, Hokage-sama?" he asked mildly.

"No. There's something else you should know."

Itachi quirked a brow in question.

"I've received a message. One of the ANBU teams is a little delayed."

"Which one?" he asked.

"Sai's team."

Sakura, Itachi immediately thought, wondering what could have delayed them. "Why are they delayed?"

"The message said that they are stopping in Suna for a day or two," the Hokage told him, with an odd glint in his visible eyes. "I'm not too bothered by it, but I thought you should know, considering the… circumstances."

Itachi fought not to react outwardly, even though inwardly, the mention of Suna was enough to make his jaws tighten. Sakura in Suna could only mean that the kunoichi was meeting Ryo. The Hokage's expression only confirmed that he knew exactly what was going on.

"Is there a problem, Uchiha?" Kakashi asked mildly, raising a brow.

"They were due to arrive in Konoha today, in time for the session tomorrow. The absence of that team will delay the next phase of the elimination," Itachi told him calmly.

"Aa, I see," the Hokage drawled, sounding amused. "That could be a problem. Something needs to be done about this issue, then."

"Perhaps it is best that you make it clear that unplanned detours should be avoided, at least until the assassin is found," Itachi suggested casually.

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm afraid it would be hard to monitor everyone on an individual basis."

"Perhaps you should delegate," he suggested.

"Perhaps I should." Kakashi nodded, his smirk faintly visible through his mask. "Now, how about this? If any of them wishes to do anything like that in the duration of your assignment, I'll send them to you. You can choose whether to approve it or not."

As taken aback as he was at the Hokage's proposal, Itachi only inclined his head in response. He had not expected Kakashi to give him such authority. The move could only mean that the Copy Nin was allowing him an increased level of trust. It was not something that Itachi was consciously seeking for, but it was gratifying, all the same.

"I trust you'll use the authority responsibly, Uchiha. Don't make me regret this," he warned.

"I will not abuse it, Hokage-sama," he assured.

Kakashi studied him intently before speaking. "I know. You're not the type."

Itachi stared at the silver-haired man opposite him, wondering whether he should say anything. His words might backfire on him because one could never tell with Kakashi. The Copy-Nin tended to have layered meanings to his words. In the end, he only made a non-committal sound.

Head tilted a little to the side, Kakashi remarked, "They had considered you as Hokage material, you know."

Itachi grimaced, knowing just who Kakashi had meant with 'they'. The Uchiha clan had made no secret of it at that time. The moment he had shown some potential, they had pounced on it like hungry wolves. That was why they had pushed him so hard, pressing him to climb the shinobi career ladder at a breakneck speed. They wanted to install _him_ in that position of power. They wished to control Konoha, using him to do so.

It disgusted him.

"Their judgment is flawed," he murmured impassively.

"Aa," Kakashi returned. "It's truly a shame."

"It is not a position that I seek," Itachi told him firmly. He doubted that Kakashi thought he desired the position, but he felt the need to clarify it. "I hold no interest in such things."

"I noticed."

Impatience sparked within Itachi, loosening the hold he had on his tongue. "Then why bring up the subject?"

The Shichidaime's single visible eye creased as he smiled widely. "To see your reaction, of course."

Itachi had to tamp down his urge to tell the Hokage off. He had pledged loyalty to the silver-haired man, after all. It would be best for him to simply leave this room. So, in a bland tone, he asked, "If that's all, Hokage-sama?"

"You may leave."

With a curt bow, Itachi left the room.

It was only when he had exited the building that he allowed a hiss of annoyance to escape his lips. The topic of his clan never failed to infuriate him, and he did not wish to speak of it to anyone, even the Hokage. Their ambition had cost them the ultimate price, and Itachi sometimes resent the role he had played in it. Especially when he thought of how it had eventually affected his relationship with a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

He did not like to speculate, but more than once, he had found himself wondering just what things could be like if the massacre had not occurred. Would he have noticed Sakura? Would he have pursued her? Perhaps she would be more amenable to him in that alternate universe. Could they be living together, married and with children by now?

Reality was very different indeed. Not only were they not together, at the present, she was still bent on pushing him away.

Still, it did not matter. Time was something he had now, and he would utilize it to win her back. By any means necessary. At the moment, however, he had to think of how he should handle her unacceptably frequent visits to Suna.

000

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000

The threads of wakefulness weaved their way through her consciousness, calling her from the depth of sleep. She was reluctant to awaken, but she knew that she had to. The moment she decided that she had to, feelings began to trickle slowly back into her body. Unfortunately, the first things she noticed was that her head throbbed and her body felt terribly weakened.

"You're awake."

Sakura muffled a groan as she forced her eyes open, searching for the source of the voice. The one who had just spoken stood across the room, leaning against the door to her private hospital room with his arms crossed over his chest. Disoriented and surprised by his presence, she could only stare in bewilderment.

How had she ended up here? The last thing she recalled…

Her eyes widened when the details of the battle flooded back. The fact that she was now in Suna could only mean that Sai had decided to come here instead of going straight back to Konoha, suggesting to her that her condition must have been quite bad. Oh, hell.

She tried to smile, but even the muscles in her face felt stiff. "G-Gaara," she finally croaked in greeting.

"You used _them,_" he accused, straightening from the door to walk towards her.

She flinched inwardly at the rebuke, knowing exactly what he was referring to. "Yeah," she mumbled.

"You were foolish," he declared stonily, stopping by the side of her bed to pin a stern look on her.

She hated being told off like this. "It couldn't be helped. We were ambushed by rogue nins and they were giving us a lot of problems. How long was I out for?" she asked, in the attempt to change the topic.

Another voice answered her from the doorway. "You were unconscious for two days. The medics were really worried, because your system functions dropped to the bare minimum in that time."

A resigned groan left Sakura's lips as Temari came closer to join Gaara at the other side of her bed. She was truly in for a lecture now. The blonde was scowling darkly at her, and she knew that she had not heard the end of the chastisement. Sometimes, they were worse than her friends back in Konoha.

"What were you thinking, Sakura? You knew what would happen if you use the Shinjutama like that," Temari growled at her.

"I didn't have a choice. My chakra was too low, and I didn't have enough to execute the sand technique," she admitted.

"The one you modified from Desert Coffin," Gaara supplied flatly.

"Yeah, that one," she muttered, a little sheepishly.

"If you're incapable of generating sufficient chakra on your own, you should not be using the technique," the Kazekage pointed out stonily. "Despite your affinity for it."

She almost rolled her eyes. Gaara obviously was still sore that she had won that bet so many years ago, leading to him having to teach her his precious technique. She did not want to point out that if he hadn't, she would probably be dead by now, as well as the other three ANBU operatives.

"Ryokumori would be beside himself if anything were to happen to you," Temari pointed out. "Didn't you consider that at all?"

"Ouch, that's a low blow, Temari," Sakura said with a wince. But the woman had a point, she supposed. She had no intention of dying, but to her defense, she had only executed that jutsu because she ran out of ideas. "Where's Ryo, anyway?"

"Out on an escort mission."

Sakura sighed, recalling Ryo's excitement as he told her of his missions the last time she had seen him. At least he was doing something he liked. She missed him, and the fact that she was in Suna and he was not there made it even worse. Really, she should start thinking about their future soon. This arrangement that had lasted the past two years really could not continue. But she did not look forward to the conversation she had to have with Gaara when it came down to it.

"I guess he won't be back before I leave?" she asked.

Gaara shook his head. "His team is travelling to Tea and back."

A frown of concern furrowed her brows. "Why send him so far?"

Gaara's jade eyes immediately narrowed. "Questioning my authority, Haruno?" he asked silkily.

Temari let out an exasperated sound. "Don't start. The two of you are like little squabbling kids sometimes."

Sakura threw a baleful look at the blonde. "We missed out on all that bickering when we were younger."

Gaara gave her a scowl of disapproval.

Unperturbed by the exchange, Temari continued, "I'll let your teammates know you're awake."

With that declaration, the blonde headed for the door and swept out of the room. Sakura eyed the Kazekage a little apprehensively, knowing that he had not left because he had something to say to her.

But he said nothing, simply remained standing at the side of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest, a forbidding look on his face. Since he always looked like that, she was not too bothered by it. Living in his guest quarters for years and sharing dinner with him and his siblings every evening sort of lessened his intimidation factor.

"Have they told you about the rogue nins?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

Gaara nodded. "We're not familiar with their description."

"You think they could be a new organization?" she asked, voicing her concern. It could be another power-hungry bunch of nins like the Akatsuki.

"Perhaps." Gaara fell silent for a while, thinking over something. And then he murmured, "Your teammates mentioned that their attacks were completely ineffective. And only yours inflicted any damage on them. Why?"

"Why? I really don't know." She frowned when she saw the contemplative look he wore while he was looking at her. "What are you thinking?"

Gaara shook his head once. And then, in a rather abrupt turn of subjects, he instructed, "Tell your Hokage that I will send him a secure message soon."

"Oh." It must be serious if Gaara thought to do that. "You're not telling me what this is all about?"

"You will know in time."

Why was he being so mysterious suddenly? Was it some sort of confidential issue? "I guess I can't pull that 'personal relations' string with you, huh?" she muttered grumpily.

Unaffected, he informed her, "Bonds can only go so far, Sakura."

She snorted, plucking at the white hospital sheets. "So, when can I leave?"

"According to the medics, although your condition was severe, you were only experiencing chakra exhaustion and the side effects from the Shinjutama. Therefore you may discharge yourself if you wish."

Exhaling loudly, she nodded. "Good."

She wanted to get back so that she could report to Kakashi and see what he thought of this new enemy. Although they were attacked far from Konoha, the fact that those rogue nins had not sustained any injuries from the rest of her ANBU squad worried her greatly. How did one battle the enemies if one could not injure them?

She watched as Gaara turned to leave, and then recalled what he had said earlier about Ryo. "Gaara?" she called out.

"Yes?"

"When you see Ryo, can you tell him I love him?"

Gaara inclined his head once, and then strode out of the room, leaving Sakura to sink back into bed.

Her troubled thoughts plagued her, making her feel edgy. The attack had been too sudden and too focused, which told her that it was not some random act. She knew that the shinobi nations were not exactly at peace at the moment, and she could not help but wonder if some power-hungry idiot was taking this as an opportunity to weaken the shinobi villages further. It would be the logical explanation.

She sighed out loud, raising a hand to rub the bridge of her nose. They really needed to find out who these people were, before they created more trouble. The question was, how?

000

* * *

000

It was already late into the night when Itachi found himself acting on a message he had received from the gates, informing him that a particular ANBU team had returned.

Throwing on a dark cloak over his normal clothing, he walked out of his home, heading towards a certain kunoichi's apartment. His sandals padded soundlessly on the ground as he travelled down the street. Without the sun overhead to provide some heat, the night air was frigid. Seeking warmth, he pulled his cloak closer around him, fully covering his black pants and dark-blue short-sleeved shirt as he took to the rooftops and sped up. It was faster that way, the route relatively free of obstruction.

He felt oddly wound up inside, a feeling aggravated by her absence. At the same time, he also felt a heady anticipation at the thought of seeing her soon. He was already displeased when the Hokage had informed him that Sai and his team would be delayed by a couple of days. And as of today, they were four days behind, irking him further. Still, Itachi had to admit to himself that his reaction had more to do with the fact that Sakura had been in Suna, more than the actual delay itself. Although, the delay _did_ put a hold on the ANBU assessment regime.

These four days had given him sufficient time to think over his situation with Sakura, and for him to arrive at the conclusion that perhaps it was time to be more forceful with his intentions. He had been attempting to wear down her resistance gradually, but that clearly did not work in his favor. The kunoichi had simply ignored him.

He was growing rather impatient.

This recent occurrence had acted as a form of catalyst. He now felt that the longer he held back, the further this abhorrent relationship of Sakura's with the Sand shinobi would progress, and that was the last thing he wished for. That relationship had to end, and soon.

When he reached a certain apartment block, Itachi stopped and let himself into the building through the roof access hatch. As he dropped to his feet, pulling the hatch shut above him, he thought over just how he should approach this. Being more forceful meant that he would be risking the unexpected, as Sakura could be unpredictable when cornered, as he had recently learnt. Unlike her younger, naïve self, she was now more hardened and less likely to take things lying low.

It did not take him long to reach the level which housed Sakura's unit. Once there, he made a beeline for her apartment. Recalling her annoyance the last time he had waited for her inside, he smirked slightly as he knocked on the door. Even if he could not pinpoint specific chakra signatures anymore, he could still tell that someone was inside. And unless Sakura had gained a new roommate, the presence he currently detected should be her.

The cold, uninviting expression on her face when the door swung open told him that she had known that it was him. It was a far cry from how she had always greeted him in the past when he visited her in Yugakure. He missed the way her eyes would light up as she smiled widely at him, tugging him into the warmth of her house before greeting him properly with a thorough kiss.

Things had been so simple then.

Now, she was standing in the doorway, one hand resting on the door while the other was propped on her hip, subtly telling him that he was unwelcomed. His eyes travelled from her damp, freshly-washed pink hair to her impatient expression before he scanned her attire. She was wearing loose long pants with a long-sleeve loose top in maroon. The style was distinctly from Wind Country, he noted with distaste.

"Taichou?" she said evenly. "Is there something you need?"

He raised a brow, glancing pointedly beyond her into the living room. "I'm not in the habit of discussing shinobi business in public corridors."

He could tell from the flash of defiance in her eyes that she was considering refusing him entry. But something clearly changed her mind, for she released a loud, impatient huff before stepping aside, pushing the door wider for him.

"Come in, then."

Wordlessly, he entered, and waited close by as she shut the door behind them. As per his usual habit when entering any space, he scanned his surrounding thoroughly, taking in the sight of her mission pack left unopened by the wall next to the coffee table in the living room. She must have gone straight to the bathroom when she had returned, he surmised. The rest of what he could see of the living room and the adjoining kitchen diner did not appear to have been touched.

She gestured at one of the two red couches not far from them. "Have a seat."

She waited for him to take a seat on the soft couch before doing the same herself, in the further possible spot she could pick. Itachi did not know whether he should be amused by her stubbornness or hurt by her obvious aversion to him. Until now, he still did not understand her overly antagonistic attitude towards him. They had not parted on hostile terms, after all.

And that was the first thing he had to resolve. For them to move forward, he had to find out what it was that was holding her back. Aside from her new relationship, of course. That was another issue he needed information on, in order to strategize effectively.

"So, what is it?" she asked.

Deciding to begin on a professional front, he pointed out, "You were delayed."

"Yes," she answered curtly.

He knew from her tone that this conversation would be a rather frustrating one. She would not be forthcoming with information. "Why?" he asked mildly.

"We already submitted our report to the Hokage. The details are in the report for you to read if you want to."

He almost smirked at her blatant attempt to get rid of him. "I'm asking you. Why were you in Suna?"

This time, her eyes narrowed, "Why can't you just read the mission report?"

Her attitude grated on him, but he kept his expression mild. "I believe Suna did not form a part of your mission brief."

Her eyes flashed briefly, before she banked down her emotions. "Why are you asking if you already know we were in Suna? Surely you have nothing against us stopping in Suna for a couple of days?"

Yes, he had. The reason rang clear in his head, but he would not voice it. It would only make him appear foolish, and _jealous_. As true as it was, he had no intention of so openly displaying this weakness to Sakura. At least not for the moment. The trust between them was still fragile; their faith in each other had been broken. Besides, he did not feel like being the first one to take a leap of faith that she would not trample upon his emotions.

"If you wish to deviate from the mission brief or leave Konoha for any reason in the future, you will seek permission from me," Itachi told her.

Emerald orbs widened incredulously. "And who gave you the authority to do this?" she asked in a barely controlled voice.

"The Hokage."

Sakura's jaw clenched shut, as a flash of disbelief appeared in her eyes. "I see," she bit out flatly.

He did not bother to convince her, although her obvious distrust of his words rankled. Once she attempted to leave Konoha, she would know that he was not lying. At the moment, he wished to focus on the topic of Suna. So he asked again, "Why did you stop in Suna?"

She took a deep breath, as if to calm herself. "I was injured."

Concern shot through him. She was injured? His ran his eyes over her, but he detected no outward injury, much to his relief. So she had recuperated in Suna? Needing more information, he asked, "When?"

"On the way back."

She was being uncooperative. Refraining from any outward display of impatience, he asked evenly, "How?"

"We were attacked by rogue nins." She raked a hand through her damp hair, looking a little frustrated. "Look, can this wait until tomorrow? Or if you really want all the details, you can go get the report from the Hokage."

"I don't see the point in seeking information from the Hokage when you're here."

"I'm tired, and I want to rest." Her voice was terse as she continued, "Besides, I'm officially off-duty now. So technically, I don't have to answer any questions."

That was a stretch and she knew it, Itachi thought, raising a challenging brow at her. "Do you truly believe that we are ever off-duty? That this profession of ours is the type you could clock in and out?" he asked casually. "That anything actually runs on some set schedule?"

She returned his stare unrepentantly, but he could tell that she was discomfited by his words. Deciding to press harder, he continued, "Are you saying that once a mission is officially over, you could simply forget all the bodies you have harmed and all the lives you have taken?"

Her eyes narrowed. "That's not what I mean, and you know it!" she snapped, finally losing hold of her temper.

"Tell me, then, what did you mean," he pushed, eager to see the _real_ Sakura. She had been hiding behind a mask for far too long. This honest flash of emotion from her was a welcomed one.

She glared at him heatedly. "Look, you know exactly why I said what I had said. And if you don't, then I'm going to tell you now." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I don't want to tell you because I simply do not feel like talking to you right now. I just want to sleep, undisturbed. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you could stop turning up at my apartment to check up on me like this. I like my privacy, and I would like to keep my home private."

He had to concede that she had a point. He would not like it if he was subjected to the same thing as well. But it had to be done. Thus far, his plan to penetrate her defenses seemed to be working. Her professional façade was slipping and she was focusing on the personal side now.

Just like he wanted her to.

All he needed now was for her to allude to their past. He could lead her slowly, but he was growing increasingly impatient with the lack of progress. This matter had to be approached directly, head on.

"Perhaps I will refrain from… visiting you, once you clarify a few matters," he told her, not intending for a second to leave her to her own devices.

Her eyes flashed. "What do you want to know?" she all but growled.

A moment of silence befell them as he regarded her, noting how appealing she looked with her cheeks flushed pink and her body clenched taut with suppressed anger. Even when the anger was directed at him.

"Tell me why you are so angry with me," he demanded quietly.

She reared back abruptly, as if someone had slapped her. Clearly, she had not expected such directness.

Keeping his tone even, he continued, "As far as I can recall, we had not parted on such a hostile note that it should result in you treating me in this manner." He studied her, noting the flicker of something indefinable in her eyes before he queried, "So why don't you explain."

She remained silent, her eyes now averted from his as she studied the threads of her loose pants. Her expression betrayed the troubled thoughts running through her mind, and the fact that she was taking so long to think about it worried him slightly. He wondered if she would ever speak.

"Sakura," he prompted firmly after a while.

She exhaled loudly, and then raised a pair of troubled eyes. "I don't see why it matters now," she responded edgily.

"I merely wish to know."

An odd mix of expressions flashed across her features then, striking him deep within his chest. He did not like that look on her face. There was disappointment and hurt in there, but what was worse was that flicker of fear that broke through her shield. Why fear? He had not given her any reason to fear him, did he?

Her defenses kicked in a second later, replacing that fear with anger. "Why are you doing this?" she all but hissed, her fingers now digging into her thighs, crumpling the fabric as she did so. "Why are you back here, _stalking_ me like this?"

It pained him that she thought that he was there to upset her. He wanted to reach out for her, to hold her as he assured her that all he wanted was for her to be by his side. But it was too soon for that. At a moment, she reminded him of a wild animal which wanted nothing more than to flee its hunter.

Finally, he responded in a soft voice, "Isn't it obvious, Sakura?"

Her lips parted, and then closed again, as if she could not decide what to say. Finally, she blurted out harshly, "You did not stop me when we separated six years ago, so why are you pushing this now?"

"Would you have stayed if I asked?"

She stared at him mutely, her eyes flickering with her obviously conflicting thoughts. Then, she replied stiffly, "No. I wouldn't have."

"Then it was just as well that I did not ask."

Taking her eyes off him, she ran a hand through her hair in a gesture which betrayed her agitation. When her gaze landed on him once more, it was clearly troubled. "Look, it has been six years. Things changed. I've moved on."

"I noticed."

"If you've noticed, then why are you doing this?"

He stared at her silently, not quite comprehending how she could not arrive at the answer to the question on her own. Had he not been obvious enough? Had he not shown her that he wished to have things back as it was?

A heavy sigh left her. "We discussed this, and I thought we agreed to keep things professional."

"I decided I'm not willing to do so."

She let out a short, frustrated shriek. "Then what exactly do you want from me?"

"You." At the sight of her wide, troubled eyes, he murmured, "I only want you, Sakura, and no one else."

Closing her eyes, she inhaled shakily. "I… I can't."

"Why?"

"Things are not the same anymore."

"How so?"

A shuttered look slammed down over her features, much to his exasperation. For a moment, he had thought that he was finally getting through to her. This lack of progress was frustrating, and he found himself growing less patient as time passed. It was clear that she was withholding information from him in the attempt to keep a distant between them.

However, there was something else he could attempt.

Standing up from the couch abruptly, he walked across to her, bypassing the coffee table. Her entire body tensed at his approach, but she remained seated. Then he was right in front of her, with their knees almost touching. The fact that she had tensed upon contact told him that he still was able to affect her physically.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a harsh whisper, staring up at him with wide, luminous eyes.

He searched her features, noting the tightened pinch at the corner of her lips and the throbbing vein in her forehead, both betraying her agitation. Deliberately, he leaned forward to prop himself against the back of the couch, forcing her back until he had trapped her between his two outstretched arms. They were so close that he could feel the air move when she sucked in a sharp breath.

All the while, he had maintained eye contact.

His proximity was affecting her, he knew, and he had no qualms about using this to his advantage. Her eyes were growing darker by the moment as she stared at him with a mix of horror and anticipation. She was holding herself so still, like a trapped wild animal, coiled with tension, understanding that there was nowhere to run. He did not know how to feel about that. In the past, she would have stared at him with desire, and not this way.

"What do you want now, Sakura?" he asked quietly.

It was as if his voice had shocked her out of her frozen state. He had asked her a similar question before, and she had responded in the negative. He wondered how she would react this time. Would she give in to her obvious desire? Anticipation flared within him at the very thought of touching her intimately again. Of experiencing _her_ with all his senses.

In the next moment, Sakura's eyes hardened with resolve.

"S-Stop it," she hissed harshly.

The sensation of her palms pressed against his chest was a strangely welcomed one. She had voluntarily touched him. He glanced down, studying how her slender digits were touching him, before raising his eyes to hers. Eyes wide, she returned his stare, her lips parted temptingly, drawing him in.

And then he gave in.

His chest constricted at the first touch of his lips against hers. They were as soft as he recalled, so familiar and yet so foreign. He wanted more. Her breath hitched when he moved against her, shifting one hand to her neck to hold her in place as he attempted to deepen the kiss.

She resisted.

He could feel it in the way she strained away from him, from the way her hands pushed against his chest. The cords of muscles in her neck were taut as she sought to distance their faces. Their lips lost contact, but the brief kiss was enough to make his heart race and for her cheeks to be flushed pink. And they were still close enough for him to fell her warm, uneven breaths on his damp lips.

She resisted, but not wholeheartedly.

Because if Sakura truly wished to be free of him, she would have employed her chakra to overcome his strength. She could easily do so, and yet, she had not done so. And he knew that it had nothing to do with the fact that he was her ANBU captain. Sakura would not think twice to physically remove him if she found his closeness objectionable.

It was a theory which could easily be tested.

With another jerk of his hand, their lips met again.

000

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000

The buzz of passion coursed through her entire body as she responded to Itachi's kisses. His touches were so familiar, and it felt to her like a refreshing drench of water to a thirsty woman. She craved it and she missed it so much. And right now, she could not find the will to resist.

Itachi's muted groans and her soft, breathy moans filled the air. She could feel his fingers sliding through the hair at the nape of her neck, and the tugging motions and scrapes sent shivers of pleasure through her as he continued to dominate her lips. He was a little rougher than she remembered, his motions a little hungrier and harder. Yet, she found herself responding just as enthusiastically. His male scent which had haunted her for all these years, spoiling her for other men, invaded her nostrils, adding to the heady feeling she was already experiencing.

She cursed the moment her hands moved of their own volition from his chest to slide to his back. He felt leaner, harder than before. At the back of her mind, she deduced that it must be because he had left the relatively sedentary civilian lifestyle behind. The life of a missing nin would explain the well-defined muscles under her searching fingers.

An involuntary whimper of protest slipped from her lips when he broke their kiss, only to be replaced by a sharp indrawn breath when his mouth dragged down the side of her neck. Tremors of pleasure skipped over her as he began to nibble. Clutching him tightly now, her mind clouded over further as her body demanded physical satisfaction.

She wanted more.

Her gasps filled the air as his hands slid to her waist, and then up under her top to caress her bare skin. He knew just how to touch her, to drive her to such mindless passion that she could think of nothing but him.

She wanted it so much.

But she could not. A brief flash of sobriety was enough to tell her that this was a very bad idea. There was too much at stake now. Too much uncertainty. She should have expected this. Ever since he had returned to Konoha, this encounter of theirs was a disaster waiting to happen. The attraction between them was still strong, too strong for her to resist.

For the past six years, she had pushed him to the back of her mind, refusing to think of how much she missed him. It had not been easy, staying put in Suna, staying in hiding for four years until Danzou was defeated. She had been marked as the prime target for Danzou's hunters despite the trade Gaara had made, which was not surprising considering the critical role she had played in the rebellion. Without her work in bringing Tsunade back, Danzou would have continued to rule without opposition.

Once Danzou was no longer in control and she was free to return to Konoha, she had been tempted to seek Itachi out. At first, the only thing that had held her back was his status as a missing nin, but she still felt that she owed him at least one meeting. She felt that she owed him the truth, even though it was unlikely that they would ever be together in that way again.

Until she had found out about Sasuke.

All notions of searching for him flew out of the window then. The conclusion she had arrived at disappointed and frightened her. There was no way she could have voluntarily sought him out.

Every normal person was wary of the unknown and unfamiliar. Six years ago, she had thought that she knew Itachi, but she really did not know him at all. Even after the revelation of his true identity and his part in Sasuke's death, she _still_ did not know him. Now, with him back in Konoha, she felt even more uncertain of where everything stood.

Her eyes stung suddenly, forcing her to blink rapidly to prevent the tears from escaping.

Itachi stilled abruptly.

For a while, neither of them moved. His face was still buried against her neck, his warm breath stroking her skin while his hands pressed against the sides of her breasts. She did not recall pulling up his top, or how her own fingers came to be digging into his bare back. Taking in a deep breath, she concentrated on remaining calm. As calm as one could be faced with a situation such as this.

Slowly, Itachi pulled away from her, his hand sliding over her heated skin once more before he straightened to his feet. Only then did his hands drop to his sides. Still seated, she allowed her own arms to fall to her lap where they immediately clenched into tight fists to hide the trembling. After everything she had said, in the end, she was too weak to resist him. How could she look him in the eye now?

"Are you alright?"

"D-Don't do that again," she managed to choke out.

"Why?"

She bit her lips, staring down at her hands. How could she answer him? How could she tell him that she found it difficult to hold on to her anger, her caution, and everything else that protected her and her loved ones from getting hurt when he touched her like that? How could she tell him that she _had_ to hold on to those emotions so that she did not slip again? How could she tell him that she really did not know _who_ he was, and therefore, she did not dare to trust him? He had treated her so well, and yet, when it came to others, he was like a monster. Which one was the _real_ Itachi?

A firm but gentle finger under her chin tilted her face up, forcing her to meet his gaze. He was kneeling in front of her now, keeping them at eye level. The glow of restrained passion in his dark orbs was mesmerizing, but she knew that she could not allow herself to drown in it. She wanted to, but she had learnt that when she gave in to what she wanted without considering the possible consequences, things could go very wrong.

And this time, she could not afford to allow things to go wrong.

"The attraction between us clearly exists, so why are you denying it?" he asked in his usual smooth tones. "Why make it difficult when it doesn't need to be?"

"I'm not trying to make things difficult," she shot back edgily.

"Yes. You merely wish to brush aside our past. Why?"

She ran a hand through her hair in frustration, hating the direction of this conversation. He wanted to know why she was angry. He wanted to know why she wanted nothing to do with him. But could he not understand? No, clearly not, because he had obviously ignored her parting words all those years ago. So what was the whole point of this? What would be the point of rehashing all the painful events of the past?

"I need to know, Sakura."

She exhaled loudly at his soft, coaxing words. Perhaps this was the time to speak about it. Perhaps she should just tell him, confront him with her thoughts and accusations and all the confused questions that had run though her head so many times over the years.

No, not everything. She was not ready to divulge _everything_ yet.

But she could start with how he had ignored her pleading. Perhaps later, one day when she felt a little braver and a little more certain of where things stood, she would tell him the rest.

Watching him carefully, she murmured, "It's Sasuke."

Her heart clenched when his expression become shuttered instantly. She continued to watch as he walked towards the window. Stopping there, he stared out, his impassive mask fully intact. This was what she feared most. There was something about Itachi when it came to those who shared his blood, like Sasuke. He had killed all of them, directly or indirectly, and she did not understand why. Was he trying to eradicate the Uchiha blood completely?

Despite her attempts to stop thinking about him over the past six years, she could not help but replay the time they had spent together. That year they had spent together was where she had left a huge chunk of her heart after all. She could not understand how the person she had fallen for could act so convincingly that she was fooled into thinking that he was a kind, loving person. Surely no one could act that well. She had _felt _it. She had felt how he had touched her, the care and emotions that went into it. Or perhaps she only wished to see that it was real.

And there was this small matter that he had been accepted back in Konoha. Kakashi was not a fool, so the fact that he had asked Itachi to come back means that he trusted the ex-Akatsuki to some level. But what did that mean, exactly? That Kakashi trusted him to run and restructure ANBU? But what about other things?

"What about Sasuke?" Itachi finally asked from his position at the window, his eyes fully fixed on the street outside.

His voice was void of emotion, making her feel even worse. She was beginning to reconsider her decision to tell him anything. But she knew that he would not allow her to back away now.

"Tell me, Sakura."

She guessed it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "I'm angry because you ignored what I asked of you just before we parted."

He turned to her then, his eyes flickering in recollection. "You asked me not to harm Sasuke."

The memory still hurt after all this time. With a sigh, she muttered, "It was probably a stupid thing to ask. You don't owe me anything, after all."

"Sakura…"

She interjected firmly, "Stop. You want to know, so just let me say it."

Averting her eyes from him, she took in a deep breath. Speaking about Sasuke always made her feel terrible. Maybe it was because she felt guilty that she was not there. That she had been too busy with other things to even wonder that had happened to him. Perhaps he could have been saved if he had known that she was hiding in Suna. Perhaps she could have healed him and prevented him from his eventual demise. But common sense told her that such a thing would not be possible. It would have been difficult for Sasuke to breach Suna's security, especially the heightened security around her at that time.

Her voice was unsteady when she continued, "Do you know how he died?"

A moment passed before Itachi spoke in an oddly tight voice. "He was captured by Danzou and he was executed."

A bitter smile crossed her lips. "That's what his file says." Another deep breath went into her lungs. "He got captured because he was already injured when two of Danzou's squads came upon him in Fire Country. They brought him back for interrogation and ran tests on him. During the interrogation, Root was under the impression that Sasuke was lying, so they tortured him. He was violent, apparently. He even tried to escape, killing countess number of shinobi, Root and regular jounin guards who stood in his way. Danzou finally had him executed." She broke off then, feeling a flash of pain when she recalled what Naruto had told her shortly after Kakashi's inauguration ceremony. Inhaling deeply, she continued, "They kept his body. For some sick reason, they kept on with the experiments, even after he was dead. It's only when Kakashi took over that he was finally cremated."

"I know."

Her eyes snapped up to his then. "You know?" she parroted incredulously.

He nodded curtly. "The Hokage explained the circumstances of Sasuke's death before I was reinstated as a Leaf nin."

Shock froze her to the spot as his words played over and over in her mind. He had known all this time. So why bother asking her why she was angry? He was supposed to be a genius. Could he not figure out the reason behind her anger? Her voice was terse when she told him, "Then you must have realized that if he had not been injured from a fight with you, he would have managed to escape Root."

"Yes."

Fury overtook her shock. Not only had he dismissed her request, he did not even seem to care that it had resulted in Sasuke's death. The tiny hope that she might be wrong about him shattered. How could he be so calm, so unaffected by Sasuke horrifying end? How could he be so callous about another person's life, especially one who shared his blood? Was every hint of humanity she had ever seen in him a mere farce?

Struck by an uncontrollable flash of anger, she surged to her feet, striding towards him. However, before she could lash out at him, he gave her a look which stilled both her tongue and her feet. She halted a few steps away from the window where he was leaning against.

As much as she hated to admit it, right now, Itachi intimidated her. There was no gentleness in the way he regarded her. The expression on his face was hard and uncompromising. It reminded her that this man had been known as one of the most dangerous S-class missing nins in existence.

His voice was quiet, but firm when he spoke next. "Do not think that I wish for his death. I do not," he told her.

Her eyes widened at the brief flash of pain in his face, before he assumed his usual impassive mask. His slip of emotion confused her. If hurting Sasuke did not make him happy, then why had he kept at it? Why had he egged Sasuke on all those years? She did not know what was going through Itachi's mind, and his lack of external displays of emotions was not helping.

A little cautiously, she ventured, "Then why do you keep fighting him?"

"In Spring Country, he challenged me."

"For revenge," she supplied, unsure whether it was a question or not.

"No."

"NO?" She stared at him, thoroughly bewildered now. Sasuke had wanted revenge, had he not? He had vowed to kill Itachi for as long as she knew. "Why then?" she pressed. "Why fight if it's not for revenge?"

Itachi's jaw tightened momentarily as his eyes searched her face. She felt almost as if he was gauging her, judging to see if she was worthy of the information. Or perhaps wondering if she would believe him. Was it really that bad?

Apprehension coursed through her then, without any warning whatsoever. It was as if on a subconscious level, she knew that whatever that was coming was not something she wanted to hear. And perhaps Itachi knew it too. Perhaps that was why he was so reluctant to tell her.

"Sometimes, the truth can be unpleasant," he said mildly.

She knew that he was trying to tell her that she would not like what he had to say. But somehow, she knew that whatever he told her, it would be the truth. It was odd that despite him keeping secrets from her, she still trusted him not to lie to her. Perhaps she was just being a fool, and Itachi was silently laughing at her.

But was the truth actually so bad? Did she really want to know? Would it change anything? As much as she wanted the information, a part of her could not help but feel a little fearful of what it might be. Was she really ready for this?

Ready or not, she _had_ to know.

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A/N: And that's it for now. See you next chapter. And in the meantime, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. It's great to know that you're enjoying the story, even though Ryo's identity seems to be perplexing many of you, hehe! Anyway, here's the next instalment!

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 8**

Ready or not, she _had_ to know, even though she had to forcibly ignore the blaring sound of warning at the back of her mind. The way he was looking at her, as if trying to warn her that she would not like what he was about to tell her, made her anxious. But she had made up her mind. She _needed_ to know the truth.

In a deceptively steady voice, she asked him, "What is the truth?"

Without breaking eye contact, he pushed away from his position at the window to close the distance between them. She did not move, standing her ground as he halted within arm's reach, his dark eyes roving over her features as if he was assessing her. Her breath hitched slightly then, as her body thrummed in reaction with his proximity. She knew that this was not the right time to react physically to him, but she was unable to control it.

Her nerves were strung taut as she waited for him to speak. She could see the barely veiled misgiving leaking from his expression, darkening his features. It looked as if he was actually finding it difficult to tell her whatever it was that was on his mind.

A muted, resigned sigh escaped him, and then he began, "The truth is, Sasuke-"

Much to her frustration, Itachi broke off abruptly, his gaze shifting away from her to land some point behind her. There was an odd look on his face, almost like a mix of irony and relief.

Puzzled, she blurted out, "What-"

She broke of abruptly then, finally sensing what Itachi had just sensed earlier. Frowning, she looked across the living room at her front door, just a few seconds before a series of knocks rang out. It was one of the ANBU, from what she could tell from the chakra signature. Irritation surged through her when she realized what this interruption meant.

She flicked a glance at Itachi, muttering, "It's Aoi."

His countenance betrayed nothing. "You should open the door," he told her mildly.

She gave him a curt nod before turning away from him. Hiding her frustration at being interrupted this way, she strode to the door and opened it. The ANBU squad leader who was waiting on the other side nodded at her politely in greeting, his spiky purple hair bobbing slightly as he did so.

"Hello, Aoi. Is everything okay?" she asked.

"My apologies for disturbing-"

Shinozuka Aoi's words faltered when his eyes focused past her, no doubt at Itachi. When his eyes came back to hers, the slate grey orbs were shuttered. Sakura grimaced inwardly when she thought of just what sort of conclusions Aoi had formed at the sight of their ANBU captain standing in her living room at this time of the night. And it was clear to anyone who had eyes that Itachi was not even in ANBU gear, suggesting that whatever was happening between them was personal. Great, this was just great.

"What is the matter?" she prompted pointedly when the purple-haired man remained silent.

Before the ANBU could say a single word, she sensed Itachi moving towards them. She fought not to tense at his proximity when he paused right behind her. The years had not diminished her sensitivity to his presence. In fact, it seemed to have grown worse.

"Taichou," Aoi greeted respectfully.

She glanced over her shoulder at Itachi to find him giving Aoi a nod of acknowledgement. His expression betrayed nothing of the personal aspect of conversation they had earlier, for which she was glad of. Still, the damage had already been done, probably. At least half of ANBU would probably hear of this by noon tomorrow.

"Shinozuka." Itachi's eyes shifted to her. In an even tone, he told her, "I'm leaving now."

Sakura had to clamp her jaws tight to stop herself from asking him to stay. She wanted to tell him to wait until the other ANBU left so that they could continue their conversation. He knew something that she did not, and she wanted him to tell her. But she could not stop him from leaving. It would sound weird, especially with Aoi standing there listening to them.

And so, she simply nodded.

Neither she nor Aoi said a word until Itachi had moved far from the apartment, until his presence was undetectable. Only then did the purple-haired ANBU raise a questioning brow at her. She already knew what was coming before she heard it.

"Is something going on between you and the Uchiha?" he asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity now that Itachi was not there.

Sighing loudly as she dragged a hand down her face, she shook her head. "No. Definitely not in the way you're thinking."

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Hm."

She gave him a pained smiled. "We were just talking about Sasuke," she told him.

His eyes flickered with a light of dawning comprehension, followed by a hint of sympathy. "Ah. I see." A moment of silence passed before he added, "I find it strange that he's allowed back here in Konoha, after the massacre."

Somehow, Aoi's words of subtle condemnation grated at her, even though she was guilty of saying the same thing. She was being a hypocrite, she knew, but she could not help disliking what the other ANBU was insinuating. Still, that reminded her that she should really try to talk to Kakashi about this. Why would he allow a mass murderer back in the village, and into such a prominent position at that?

"Many people are wary of his presence," Aoi continued, saying nothing that she did not already know.

Biting back on her sudden irritation, she returned in a flat tone, "The Hokage sanctioned it. So there's really nothing much we could say to that."

"But I suppose he's not doing altogether a bad job so far," Aoi remarked thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

Not wishing to continue talking about Itachi any further, she decided to divert the topic. "We'll see, I guess. So, what brought you here?"

"Ah, that." He gave her a mildly sheepish look, as if embarrassed that he had allowed himself to be sidetracked. "The Hokage wants to see you tomorrow at ten."

Must be to do with the report, she thought inwardly. Outwardly, she nodded at the ANBU. "Thanks for the message."

"Have a good night, Sakura."

"Goodnight, Aoi."

The moment he turned to walk away, she pushed the door shut, immediately leaning back against it. Closing her eyes, she let out a weary sigh. It had been a long night, especially after all that travelling. And Itachi's earlier presence had not helped at all. She always got even more agitated with him around, and this time was definitely the worst. His words were still bouncing in her mind, making her wonder what was it that he was so reluctant to tell her.

It crossed her mind that she could seek him out tomorrow, to ask him to explain what he had left hanging. She could not just corner him in public, so it would probably need to be at his home. But that meant confronting him in his own territory, and somehow, the idea of doing such a thing frightened the hell out of her. Things _happened_ when they were together alone.

Like that kiss.

Even now, the mere memory of it had the power to send pleasurable tingles up her spine, much to her dismay. And worse, Itachi knew just how he affected her, and he did not have any qualms about using it to his advantage. His desire to pursue her confused her, making her feel on edge and hunted. He was clearly still attracted to her and she had to admit that a part of her was very tempted to just give in.

But there were other things to consider now. She could not jump into things with him without considering the consequences.

Releasing a frustrated huff, she pushed off the door to make her way to her bedroom. She was too tired to think about all this now. Perhaps tomorrow, she would be in a better frame of mind to think through this dilemma.

With that thought, she sank into her bed and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

000

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000

Itachi stared out at the congregation of thirty odd ANBU operatives in front of him. They were seated behind rows of long, wooden desks spanning halfway across the width of the white-washed room, waiting for the session to progress. Two hours had passed since they had settled down in the room, and he knew that most of them were growing impatient. There was nothing in the room to occupy them except a single water cooler set at the back of the room. And he had noticed that by now, half of them had at some point, consumed some of the water. The rest were more cautious, either anticipating that the assessment had actually begun, or they simply had something to hide.

The level of hostility towards him appeared to have decreased slightly, it would seem. He no longer felt as if they were constantly glaring daggers into his back, he thought with some level of amusement. In fact, at the moment, most of them were not even paying any notice to him. Instead, their attention was focused on the door a few feet away from him at the front of the space, the very door that led to the interrogation room.

Itachi could tell that they were feeling uneasy at the notion of being interrogated, even though they appeared mostly unaffected on the surface. It was a natural response, and if one did not feel that way, there must be something wrong about them. After all, people usually valued their privacy.

It would be difficult to pinpoint just who the real suspect was, but this session would at least narrow down the list of suspects. And that would make things easier for him. All he had to do was to continue with this elimination strategy and very soon, he would be able to ascertain the identity of the assassin. As it was, he already had his eye on someone.

If only things were that simple in his personal life.

His eyes swept over the restless forms of the ANBU operatives again, but this time, his gaze lingered a little longer on a certain pink-haired kunoichi. Seated beside her blonde friend, she was staring down at her clasped hands on the white table. Both of them seemed to be lost in thought and he wondered if she was thinking about the conversation they had two nights ago.

If Shinozuka had not interrupted, he would have informed Sakura of Sasuke's true intentions towards Konoha, even though he had misgivings about revealing the entire thing. After all, Naruto had not taken it too well when he had imparted the news. Even now, the jinchuuriki was still emotionally torn over it.

As for Sakura, he had seen the trepidation in her eyes when he warned her that the truth might not be pleasant. He had understood there and then that a part of her would not be willing to listen. The interruption had spared him from witnessing her potentially violent reaction. It was then that he had decided that it was best to leave.

They had not seen each other until this morning at the break of dawn, when he handed her a scroll with the information she was supposed to protect as part of the assessment. Still, with so many people around, it was not prudent to resume that particular conversation. He supposed if he had not been so tied up with the ANBU issues the whole of yesterday, he could have found some time last night to visit her. But as it was, the meeting with the Hokage and the Nara had dragged on longer than usual. It almost seemed as if fate had chosen to intervene, keeping the truth undisclosed.

Itachi sighed inwardly as he took his eyes away from Sakura.

He should have known that her anger towards him had something to do with Sasuke. It was as if he had set in motion some odd chain of events when he had chosen to center his life around Sasuke when he was younger. And now, the only person he wanted for himself could only center her attention on Sasuke.

Still, he admitted that she had a point. She had a good reason to be angry with him. He _had_ aided in Sasuke's demise, even though Sasuke had been running headlong into trouble all the same. Until now, he still recalled the battle that had ultimately destroyed Sasuke.

It had taken place at the border of Fire Country and another minor country, shortly after he had ended his search for Sakura. Still stunned and anguished by the news that Sakura was dead, his only thought had been to leave Fire Country to retire somewhere obscure. Everything seemed bleak and colorless, and the hope that he had been carrying in the prior months destroyed completely.

Sasuke had trailed him there, urging him into one of their battles in the attempt to force his cooperation in assisting him to attack Konoha. His foolish little brother had discovered by then that he could not control the bijuu alone, and required help if he wished to harness the power of the beast. By that time, Itachi had grown thoroughly weary of the fights. He did not wish to harm Sasuke irreparably but at the same time, he did not want to allow Sasuke to win. Therefore, there had been no way of escaping the battles.

However, that particular day, Sasuke had caught him at when he had been less than stable mentally and emotionally. During the battle, his anguish had quickly turned to bitterness and resentment of warfare in every shape and form. In an uncharacteristic show of anger, he had outwardly criticized Sasuke for throwing away a perfectly good life to waste it on hate and revenge. Of course, Sasuke had not taken it well. In fact, the quarrel had only intensified the battle, and for the first time, Itachi had not held much back, injuring Sasuke in the process.

With an angry glare, Sasuke had teleported himself away at the end of the fight.

That was the last time he had seen his little brother. After that, Sasuke must have stopped somewhere to tend to his wounds. He could have fallen unconscious, leaving himself vulnerable.

Itachi was fully aware that by injuring Sasuke in that fight, he had given ANBU Root the opportunity to capture the younger Uchiha. But at the rate Sasuke was going, he would have died one way or another. It would be either by the hands of Konoha ANBU Root or the bijuu that he would fail to control. It was inevitable.

Still, that did not mean that he was not saddened by Sasuke's death. After all, Sasuke was always the little brother he loved. If there was any way he could avoid such a fate for Sasuke, he would. But it was too late by then. By the time he encountered Sasuke, the younger Uchiha was far too gone in his quest for revenge that he could not see beyond that single, all-consuming objective. Sasuke had long ceased to see reason.

The outer door at the back of the large room squeaked open suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. Itachi followed the gaze of the rest of the room's occupants to find the tall lead interrogator walking in with two other interrogators. One he recognized as Yamanaka Inoichi, but the other one was a younger recruit Itachi was not familiar with. But if the kunoichi was there, it must mean that Morino had faith in her abilities.

Morino proceeded to walk past the seated ANBU operatives until he reached the front of the room with Yamanaka and the other interrogator following right behind him. All three of them stopped in front of the closed door leading to the interrogation room.

"Morino," Itachi greeted mildly.

"Uchiha. I see you've gathered them in one place." Ibiki jerked his head towards the roomful of ANBU operatives. "They're ready?"

"They have the scroll with the information they are to protect."

The scarred interrogator nodded.

Itachi handed him two lists, one which contained the specific requirements of the session and the other with a list of ANBU operatives in that room. He had also made note of the ones who had consumed the spiked water in the past two hours.

Darting a look at the door to the interrogation room, Itachi told him, "You may begin."

Morino scanned the two lists quickly. When he looked up, he honed in on a certain ANBU in the middle of the room.

"Komachi," he called out.

The mid-twenties ANBU with long green hair, twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck with two long senbon stood up. Her expression was set in an impassive mask which was clearly there to hide her trepidation. Without pause, she came to the front, following Ibiki and the other two interrogators through the door to the interrogation room.

The door clanged shut.

And so it began. One by one, the ANBU operatives were called in. Murmurs of conversations within the room grew louder as the rest awaited their turn with the interrogators. From his vantage point at the front of the room, Itachi observed their behavior to discern if any of them were behaving out of the ordinary. He doubted his casual observation would yield much, for the assassin was certainly too skilled to make such an obvious mistake.

His eyes paused once again at a mass of pink hair crowning a bowed head. Sakura was seated at the back of the room, quietly attempting to get Naruto's attention. Idly, Itachi wondered if Naruto would tell her the truth.

"Taichou?"

Itachi turned to find Sarugaku Tsuzumi studying him with a pair of icy-blue eyes. He was seated in the front row with a female teammate beside him, the one Itachi recalled as Matsuki. Sarugaku, Matsuki and the presently incarcerated Asari previously formed an ANBU cell.

"Sarugaku," he acknowledged.

"Where is Asari?" the blond man asked.

"She has no need to attend this session," Itachi told him, half expecting the question. Sarugaku was Asari's squad leader, after all.

Asari's other teammate, Matsuki shot to her feet. "We haven't seen her for two weeks! What have you done to her?" the black-eyed kunoichi with short black hair asked heatedly.

The murmurs of conversations around them halted immediately as every single ANBU operative turned their attention to the commotion at the front of the room. Although he was irked by the scene they were making, Itachi only raised a brow at Sarugaku in an unspoken demand.

"Matsuki, just be quiet for a second," her squad leader ground out in warning. Turning back to him, Sarugaku explained calmly, "We are just concerned, Taichou. We have no news of her for a while now."

Itachi cast a sweeping glance around him, knowing that the real suspect was one of the ten or so ANBU in the room listening to the conversation. He had to be careful with his words. It was unwise to allow the enemy to possess too much knowledge at this point.

"Asari is in seclusion," Itachi told them. "There is a concern that she might be targeted again, as she is the sole surviving victim so far."

"Oh," Matsuki sagged visibly, now looking guilty at her earlier accusation. "I… I apologize, Taichou, for my outburst."

Itachi merely regarded her impassively. She would not be apologizing if she knew that Asari had been through interrogation and was currently in no condition to be moving at all. It had only ended yesterday but they managed to discover that the attack was staged. Asari had never been attacked at all by Ishida Kazuki. The latter had been framed in the attempt to divert suspicions.

At that point, one of Ibiki's interrogators pushed open the door to the briefing room, allowing a pale, haunted-looking ANBU to leave. Glancing around, Ibiki's sharp eyes landed on the person he was seeking.

"Shinozuka," he called out.

The purple-haired shinobi stood up and flashed a small grin at the room before following the interrogator out. Itachi allowed his eyes to follow the shinobi until the door to the interrogation room closed behind him, interested to see what the results could be.

After all, Shinozuka Aoi was his prime suspect.

000

* * *

000

Sakura snuck another glance at her blond friend, not missing the contemplative look on his face. This was the first time she had seen him since their deployment to the field about a week ago. He was unusually silent beside her, much more subdued than ever. Granted, he had not been his old eternally cheerful self ever since he had learnt of Sasuke's death, but it had gotten worse after that talk he had with Itachi. It was beginning to worry her.

"Naruto?" she murmured softly under her breath.

Naruto tensed slightly, and then slid his blue gaze in her direction. The corner of his eyes creased as he smiled. "Yeah, Sakura-chan?"

"Are you okay?"

He grinned, but there was a sorrowful light in his eyes. Something was obviously not quite right. "Aa, Sakura-chan. Don't worry."

Concern and irritation mingled within her, and she knew that he must be able to see it. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" she prodded.

Naruto broke their eye contact to resume staring at the wood grains on the surface of the desk in front of him. A heavy sigh left his lips as he frowned slightly. "I don't want to lie to you, Sakura-chan," he muttered under his breath.

She blinked slowly. So he_ was_ hiding something from her. In a more urgent tone, she asked, "What is it you're not telling me?"

He shook his head, still not meeting her eyes. Was this why she had found it so hard to locate him these days? Was he trying to avoid her because of whatever it was that he did not want to tell her? Why the hell was he hiding things from her anyway? Were they not friends?

Then again, wasn't she guilty of hiding secrets from him as well?

She considered pressing him, if not for the fact that they were surrounded by other people. Now was probably not the best time to push the issue. She would do it later, when hopefully, she managed to corner him.

She turned away from Naruto, briefly darting a surreptitious glance to the front to find Itachi scanning the room once again. He had been doing that over the past few hours, wearing a contemplative look each time he did so. What was he thinking, she wondered? Was he assessing just how many ANBU would be dismissed after today? She knew for sure that he had dismissed more than twenty ANBU, seeing that there were only thirty-three of them left in this room. Was there more to come? At the rate he was going, there would be no ANBU left, unless Itachi was planning on recruiting a completely new batch of ANBU after he had dismissed all of them.

This whole thing did not make sense. Maybe those twenty odd ANBU operatives had not been dismissed after all. Maybe Itachi was trying to sort them into different categories, based on skill strengths so that they could be retrained accordingly. The first assessment seemed to be a test for one's character. The second one had been a battle assessment, and this one was clearly a mental strength test.

He had a purpose in setting all these assessments out. Perhaps this was what the restructuring was about, to improve the skills of the ANBU. She felt more certain by the moment that Itachi was not doing this randomly. Now that she thought about it, he had always been analytical, even when they were together years ago.

Taking her eyes away from him, she sighed inwardly at the direction of her thoughts and returned to staring at her hands.

She had walked past him this morning, just before she entered this room. Unsurprisingly, he had shown no outward signs of recalling that conversation they had a couple of days ago. As private as he was, she doubted that he would want to talk about Sasuke in front of other people. But she was growing rather anxious wondering what he had wanted to tell her that night.

Perhaps she should corner him later today, when this whole ANBU session was over. She did not think that she wanted to wait any longer for the information.

The air in the room changed slightly, as it had done each time an ANBU operative stepped out of the interrogation room. Sakura lifted her eyes to find Shinozuka Aoi leaving the room, his tight-lipped expression making it clear that it had not been a pleasant session. Which was not surprising, really. She sort of expected their new captain to put them through the wringer in this assessment. What would be the point of it, otherwise?

"Uzumaki."

Her eyes shot sideways just as Naruto pushed his chair back with a loud scrape. He darted a reassuring grin at her, which did nothing to alleviate her unease, before making his way to the front of the room. Biting her lower lips, she watched as the door closed behind him.

She should not worry, she knew. Naruto had been through the nightmarish ANBU examinations two years ago, which had included an element of interrogation and had survived it in one piece. He would be able to handle this fake interrogation. In fact, he would probably get through it with the most unexpected technique in his usual inimitable way.

Still, she could not help but clasp her hand tightly in front of her as she waited anxiously for his session to conclude.

Fifteen minutes of nerve-wracking tension later, the door at the front of the room clicked open and out walked Naruto. She immediately scanned his form with her experienced medic eyes, and it took her no time to conclude with relief that he appeared whole and unaffected by the session. Another ANBU operative was called in a moment later, taking his place in the room.

She smiled at the grin Naruto directed at her as he walked past, heading to the exit door at the back of the room. Perhaps later, after her assessment, she could find him to catch up on a few things. She missed talking to him. And now that she knew that he was keeping something from her, she wanted to pry it out of him.

What was this with everyone keeping information from each other?

Sighing silently, she admitted that she was being unfair, seeing that she doing exactly the same thing. She had secrets too. From her friends and everyone who knew her. To be honest, she felt like a fraud, the way she allowed everyone to come to the incorrect conclusion about things. She wondered if she would ever be brave enough to allow the truth to be revealed.

The door opened again, and an ANBU she recognized as one of the new recruits came out looking pale and traumatized. He did not look any worse than the rest, something which warned her that she was in for a rough time. A moment later, Ibiki appeared at the open doorway, and his eyes landed on her.

"Haruno."

Unsurprised by Ibiki's call, Sakura stood up at the sound of her name. Wordlessly, she walked to the front of the room, bypassing Itachi as she did so. She felt his eyes on her, but she did not turn towards him. Calm and composed were what she needed to be right now, and Itachi definitely did not instill those things in her.

She followed Ibiki into the room and closed the door behind her. It was not the first time she had been in this room, and from what she could tell, nothing much had changed in the way of furnishings, or the lack thereof. A stainless steel rectangular table graced the center of the room, separating one metal chair from the other three. One chair for her and three for the interrogating team. There was also a tap with a hose nearby, no doubt used for cleaning up after the messier interrogations. All these were enclosed by four stark white walls and lighted up by a harsh, glaring ceiling lamp.

"Sit down."

With a nod, she took a seat, keeping herself composed as she did so. Across the table, Yamanaka Inoichi was studying her intently, clearly into the role of the interrogator. She wondered mildly if he would be the one running her assessment. And if he was, if he knew what had happened the last time Ino had tried to get into her mind. That was many years ago, though, and she had improved by leaps and bounds since then.

"We will begin now," Ibiki announced.

Ino's father brought his hands together, confirming her earlier thoughts. A flare of chakra followed as his jutsu began.

And then she felt the telltale signs of someone attempting to invade her mind, like unpleasant pinpricks of needles probing her consciousness. It struck her then that the technique was not an unfamiliar one. It was a high level interrogation technique, not unlike the one Root had used on her many years ago. The session had not ended well for the Root, not that she had any intention of going that far in this assessment.

With an inward smirk, she decided that there was no way she could fail this particular test.

And with that thought, she nudged her inner self awake.

000

* * *

000

Itachi stood in the Hokage's office with three other men. The Hokage, as usual, was reclining against his large chair behind the desk, his relaxed posture complementing the one of his Nara advisor, who was slouched with his back against the wall just a couple of feet away. Ibiki was also there, with his findings from the assessment sessions that had only ended half an hour ago.

"It's all done?" the Shichidaime asked mildly.

Ibiki nodded.

"Not bad. Took only one day," Kakashi mused, the corner of his visible eye creasing slightly.

"Yamanaka was with us," Ibiki told him by way of explanation.

"Aa, that makes sense."

"So… How many?" Shikamaru asked.

Ibiki slipped a piece of paper from the folder he held in his hands. Glancing at it before he placed the paper on the Hokage's desk, he announced, "Twenty do not fit the profile."

"Twenty, huh." Kakashi tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Which leaves how many? Thirteen?" A slight frown marred his brow as he continued, "So many suspects still."

"The process needs to be gradual," Itachi pointed out.

"We can't probe too hard, or we might scare the real one off. Those thirteen are the ones who seemed more on guard than one would expect, while outwardly remaining casual. They are the ones with something to hide in addition to the information in the scroll," Ibiki explained.

Shikamaru half-sighed. "Most people have secrets."

Kakashi scanned the list thoughtfully before raising his eye. "Uchiha. Have you seen this?"

Shaking his head, Itachi took the list from the Hokage. Running his eyes over the summary of the assessments for each ANBU operative, he was unsurprised to find Shinozuka Aoi's name amongst those thirteen possible suspects. What was a little surprising, however, was that Sakura had made it to the third place in the ranks of people with the most to hide.

Interesting.

What exactly was she hiding from everyone? The method she had used to counter the interrogation drew his attention. Yamanaka had likened it to being beaten away from her mind by some sort of monochrome monster. Her technique interesting, not anything he had seen before.

The Hokage's voice broke into his contemplations. "You have someone in mind, don't you?"

Looking up from the list, Itachi nodded once. "Aa."

"Who?"

"I'd rather not speculate. We need to narrow down the options further," he returned, placing the list back on the Hokage's desk.

Shikamaru pushed off the wall to peer at the list. "Yamashiro Aoba, Namiashi Raido, Shiranui Genma, Uzuki Yuugao, Komachi, Sai, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji, Tera, Hayase, Sarugaku Tsuzumi, Shinozuka Aoi, Haruno Sakura," he mouthed as he read. "It can't be too hard to thin down this list. At least half are definitely loyal to Konoha."

"One should not assume so readily," Itachi pointed out quietly.

The Nara raised his head, smirking slightly. "True. After all, we made a grievous assumption when it came to you, didn't we?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Aa. We only arrived at the conclusion that this Uchiha wanted us to reach."

A little discomfited by the direction of the conversation, Itachi decided not to participate. He never liked to speak about his part in the massacre and the subsequent infiltration of Akatsuki. It had all happened too long ago, and there was no point in bringing it up again. That chapter of his life was closed, as far as he was concerned.

"I don't understand you, Uchiha. Why don't you just tell everyone the truth?" Ibiki asked, a frown marring his scarred visage. "Why still keep it a secret from the public?"

Kakashi gave him a knowing look. "I wondered the same thing myself, for a while. But I think I understand now."

Shikamaru nodded. "It's because of the potential upheaval such a disclosure would cause if the public, shinobi and civilian alike, realized that Konoha's administration was ruthless enough to order a mass execution." His eyes slid sideways. "Isn't that right, Uchiha?"

Itachi did not think that it was necessary to answer. They were merely speculating again, even though this time, their assumption was close enough to the truth. It would do more harm to reveal the truth than for him to continue his way in Konoha with nothing more than the occasional glances of fear and disgust. No one had attempted to physically attack him. Yet.

Kakashi leaned forward, changing the topic. "Well, now that we have thirteen, I guess we're moving on to the next phase?"

"Aa."

"When?" Ibiki asked.

"What do you say we give them a few days break first? The next one will be a long one, after all," Kakashi pointed out.

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," Itachi assented quietly. "In two days, perhaps?"

Kakashi nodded, before asking Shikamaru, "I gather you've finalized the plans?"

"I need to go through it with Uchiha once more, but yes, we're almost there."

Kakashi leaned back against his chair. "Good. Well, if that's all…?"

Understanding the unspoken command, Itachi and the rest bowed lightly before making their way out of the Hokage's office. The door closed behind him with a subtle click, and then, disregarding the other two shinobi, Itachi began to walk out of the building.

The sky was already pitch black when he exited into the night, inhaling the fresh air deeply. At the entrance, he paused briefly, allowing a harried messenger to run past, but with his mind filled with the next stage of the elimination process, he hardly paid any attention to the chuunin.

Deciding to eat before he began to work again, he headed for the nearest restaurant to seek sustenance.

000

* * *

000

Sometimes, he really hated being Hokage.

Scratch that.

_Most of the time_, he hated being Hokage.

When would Naruto feel confident enough to take over? The blond was clearly strong enough in terms of physical strength. But the last time they had this conversation a year ago, an uncharacteristically serious Naruto had told him that he needed more experience before he was able to do a good job leading the village. Naruto's reasoning for his refusal to take on the position was a clear sign that the boy had definitely matured enough to do so.

One could never be fully prepared for the role, after all.

Kakashi stared bleakly at the message in his hands, sighing heavily as he did so. He had sent for Sakura half an hour ago, and she should be here anytime soon. He did not look forward to the pending meeting.

Running a hand through his already-messy hair, he wondered how he could even begin the calm her down after imparting the news to her. She would not take it well, he knew. The question was, what would she do after hearing the news?

He looked up when he felt a flicker of familiar chakra outside his door. She was here, he realized, just as a series of knocks sounded.

"Come in."

The door slid open, and in walked Sakura, looking a little sleep-ruffled. She must have gone home to sleep right after the assessment, he thought with a quick look at the window, noting the darkened sky with some surprise. It was already late, too late for him to be imparting such bad news to his favorite student.

"What is it, Hokage-sama?" she asked, stopping in front of his desk with a questioning frown furrowing her brows.

Deciding that there was no point in delaying the inevitable, he told her, "Ryo is in hospital."

The drowsiness was instantly wiped from her features, to be replaced by an ashen expression of horror. "W-What?" Her eyes flicked to the message on his desk, clearly identifying the Suna seal. "What exactly did Gaara say?"

"He is hospitalized, that's all."

"That's all?" she choked out, eyes wide with disbelief. "He didn't even say how bad it is?"

Kakashi leveled a meaningful look at her. "Do you think the Kazekage would bother sending a message if it was something minor?"

Sakura emerald eyes flashed in pain. "He was out on a mission in Tea," she mumbled, almost to herself. "It was only an escort mission."

Kakashi grimaced inwardly. Such was the life of a shinobi, and Sakura should have realized it by now. Anything could happen, especially at the most unexpected time. He only hoped that whatever it was, Ryo would recover from it. He did not want to think how Sakura would ever cope with that magnitude of loss.

She closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, her emerald orbs were hard and resolute. "I need to go to see him."

Kakashi was about to give her consent when he recalled what he had done not long ago. Groaning inwardly, he pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have known that his decision would return to bite him in the ass. He had given the Uchiha the authority to decide the movements of the ANBU while this investigation was ongoing, but he had not expected such a thing to come up even though he should have.

He had a feeling that Uchiha Itachi might not allow Sakura to leave for Suna the way things stood right now. The man seemed to be operating under a misconception when it came to Ryo, which had been quite amusing, Kakashi admitted, but rather counterproductive now.

Of course, that complication would not occur if Sakura simply revealed the truth about Ryo to the latter.

The truth about Ryo's background, however, remained elusive even to Kakashi. He could only speculate, from the information he had discovered about Itachi's civilian identity and Sakura's connection to him in the past. Speculations that were fuelled by both of his shinobi's current behavior towards each other.

No, even though he could tell the Uchiha to allow Sakura to go to Suna, he would not override the decision. He would not take sides. Besides, if what he suspected about the relationship between Sakura and the Uchiha was true, then the latter should be made aware of Sakura's intention to go to Suna.

So what should he do now?

Perhaps he should simply sit back and allow this to run its course.

With a heavy sigh, he said, "I'm sorry, Sakura. You'll have to ask your Captain."

Her eyes widened in confusion. "What are you talking about, Sensei?"

"I've given him the authority to approve the ANBU's absences."

Sakura gasped incredulously. "What? Seriously? I thought it was just an empty threat. Why did you go and do something like that?"

Half-truths would be best at this juncture, he decided. "This… restructuring… is critical. So it was best to allow him to organize the ANBU's movements without interference."

"B-But… You're the Hokage!" she burst out, throwing her arms in the air.

He sighed wearily, knowing that she would not relent so easily. "I know, Sakura."

"Override his authority, then!"

"Maybe he will allow you to visit Suna?" he suggested mildly.

"Like hell he will!" Sakura snapped, her cheeks reddening in fury. "He'll keep me here out of spite."

Kakashi eyed her flatly. The Uchiha would only do so as long as he was unaware of the truth of the situation. Their new ANBU Captain did not strike Kakashi as an unreasonable person, despite his aloofness. In fact, he suspected that the Uchiha possessed quite a compassionate nature. Whatever that was going on between them must be quite bad to make Sakura think ill of him.

More and more, Kakashi felt that he was making the correct decision. Clearly, this entire Suna issue was bothering both Sakura and Itachi, and it was time for them to work it out without further pretenses. This situation could be the key to it. He only needed to sit back and allow the situation to unravel. Besides, he knew now that even if Itachi forbid her to leave, Sakura would still take off at the first opportunity. She would not accept 'no' for an answer, not when it came to something like this. Ryo was too important to her.

"Kakashi?"

He gave her a firm look. "Give him a chance, Sakura. Request permission from him. You need to explain things to him if you want his cooperation."

Her jaw ticked visibly.

Giving her a knowing look, he added, "He seems to have gotten the wrong end of the stick about a few things, don't you think?"

Sakura glared at him mutely.

He sighed. "Don't look at me like that, Sakura."

She let out a muffled shriek, clearly exasperated beyond her limits. "How do you expect me to look at you after this thing about Itachi? You _know_ I'll have a hard time convincing him."

He did not miss the fact that she had simply brushed aside his suggestion to clarify things with Itachi. The picture was becoming clearer in his mind now. Where was the trust between these two? If he had to guess, he would say that Itachi was probably keeping secrets from her too. For such smart people, these two were ridiculously stupid when it came to this personal issue between them.

Well, they were now given an opportunity to sort themselves out.

"Look, Sakura. Just go ask him, alright?" he finally told her, effectively dismissing her.

She glared at him for a moment more, before spitting out, "Fine!"

He decided that he would not call her out for her disrespect when she stalked out of his office without another word, slamming the door behind her. Only then did he allow his forehead to land smack on the surface of his desk. Those kids would be the death of him one day. The remaining members of his most promising team, his _only_ genin team, behaved like spoilt brats sometimes.

Sighing inwardly, he reached out to his right and closed his fingers around a familiar book. The weight and feel of it was comforting, he thought, as he brought to closer, finally lifting his head. Flicking the pages open, he ran his eyes over the much-read words, feeling something akin to peace settle over him. He needed this, especially after that confrontation with Sakura.

He had barely read two pages when knocks sounded on his door again. Recognizing who it was at the other side of the door, he straightened from the book immediately. What was she doing here, he wondered, suddenly flooded with something that felt suspiciously like anticipation, but he decided not to dwell upon that particular reaction too closely.

"Come in."

Rin stepped into his office wearing a low-cut top over a pair of casual pants, and a dark scowl. "You're _still_ here?"

He gave her an eye-crinkle, a little wary of her mood. Why was he surrounded by highly-strung, volatile women? Casually, he responded, "Ah… You know what it's like."

Still scowling, she closed the door behind her. "I was waiting for you."

He blinked slowly, willing his mind out of the gutter because all he could see was the enticing image of her waiting for him… in his bed. It was highly inappropriate. He was the Hokage. He should not lust after his shinobi. Even if it was only one particular shinobi he lusted after.

Giving himself a mental shake to dispel the tempting images, he focused on the matter at hand. "Um… Why were you waiting for me?"

"It's the first Friday of the month." Her tone was flat.

Both Kakashi's eyes, visible and covered, widened in instant recollection. He had forgotten that it was Friday. Oh, hell. This job must be scrambling his brain more than he thought it was if he could forget which day of the week it was.

"You forgotten," she concluded dryly.

He smiled sheepishly as she strode towards the desk. Was it unacceptable for a Hokage to grovel? He finally settled for, "I'm sorry, Rin."

"Hm." Her gaze landed on the book. "I'm losing out to porn," she muttered.

Kakashi winced inwardly. "Ah, it's not-"

"Save it!" she interjected, clearly frustrated. "At least have the balls to admit that you're reading porn."

"Hey!" he objected indignantly. That was uncalled for. Balls? Of course he had them.

She was still standing there staring expectantly at him, this time with her arms crossed over her chest, squashing her ample breasts. Tempting him with the sight of her deepened cleavage. Had the woman no mercy at all for him? Surely she knew what she was doing? She could not be _that_ innocent.

Come to think of it, what had she been up to all these years? Yeah, yeah, the official stuff was all in the long report she had submitted a month after she had rejoined the ranks of Konoha shinobi, but what about all the personal things? Despite all their get-togethers, the topic had never arisen. He could not help but wonder if she had relationships while she was out there, living amongst civilians.

And he could not help but feel a little put out by it.

"Kakashi! Eyes!"

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. At the realization that his eyes had been glued all this time to her cleavage, he jerked his gaze up to her face to find her glaring at him darkly. However, much to his surprise, there was a small quirk at the corner of her lips.

He blinked slowly, absorbing the information. Maybe she was not so adverse to his attentions after all? It could only mean one thing, right?

His mood lightening significantly, he stood up and walked around the desk. Giving her a bright smile, he invited, "Let's go, shall we?"

She gave him a wary look, perhaps confused by his over-done cheerfulness. "Okay…" she muttered slowly. "I haven't had dinner yet."

"Ah, I'll treat then. There's this great sushi place I know at the end of this street," he remarked, stopping in front of her.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Now that's new. You? Treating?"

Beaming now, Kakashi simply walked to the door, leaving the kunoichi to stare at his back.

"Are you coming or not?"

000

* * *

000

Sakura all but stormed out of the Hokage's Tower, ignoring the shocked looks on the faces of the chuunin sentries and messengers she passed as she strode down the street. Her temper was raging inside, and the urge to lash out at something was almost overwhelming. How could Kakashi do this to her?

But she knew that it was not all anger. The anger was simply hiding her fear and panic.

Ryo was hospitalized and she was in Konoha. How the hell was she supposed to remain calm in a situation like this? She knew what the shinobi handbooks said about keeping an emotional distance, but it was impossible in this case. She was never really good at keeping to that rule anyway.

Her hands clenched tightly as she rushed down the almost-deserted street, spying into all the open shops on her way to a certain someone's place. It was already very late at night but she had to see him. There was no time to delay. She knew that Suna's medics were good. Hell, she trained half of them. But she needed to see him with her own eyes, or she would never rest.

But first, she had to face Uchiha Itachi.

She found him in the dango shop close to Ichiraku ramen. A flicker of memory crossed her mind then, and she recalled the conversation where he had admitted that he liked sweet things. It seemed like such a long time ago but she could still remember the openness of his expressions then. Now, he tended to wear a mask like many other ANBU.

The shop was empty bar three patrons, which was not surprising considering the time. Itachi was seated on a bench at the far corner, alone, with an empty plate in front of him and a serving of tea. A book was cradled in one hand as he raised a steaming cup of tea to his lips. Although he betrayed no sign that he knew she was there, she was certain that he did.

Stopping behind him, she asked, "May I join you?"

His shoulders tensed slightly, as if he was surprised. Without glancing back at her, he gestured to the empty bench across him and murmured, "Sit down."

Accepting his offer, she walked around the table and sat down. Only then did he raise his eyes from the book, regarding her questioningly. It was clear that he did not know why she was there.

Taking a deep breath, she went straight to the heart of the matter. "I need to go to Suna."

The flash of displeasure on his face was so brief that she would have missed it if she was not staring at him so intently. A sinking feeling in her stomach told her that she would not like his answer, even if she had expected it.

"You've just returned from Suna a couple of days ago," he pointed out mildly.

"And I need to go again." She took a deep breath. "Please, this is important."

"Why?"

"Someone's hurt and I want to visit him," she told him shortly, impatiently.

"Ryo."

There was no point denying it. "Yes."

His eyes searched her face for a moment, and then he told her, "We are commencing an ANBU session in two days. You're required here, so your request is denied."

Fury mingled with disappointment flooded her at his careless words. Could he not tell just how important this was to her? Was it not obvious enough in her expression and the tremors of panic in her body? Why did he have to be so heartless at this point?

Still, it did not matter. Whatever he said, it did not matter.

Because no matter what, she was going.

Without another word, she spun around and left the shop.

000

* * *

000

Itachi grimaced inwardly as he glanced around, taking in the sight of the sand dunes around him.

He should have known that she would run off. Her countenance when she had confronted him almost thirty-six hours ago had warned him that much, but he had thought that she would have more sense than to disobey a direct order. Perhaps in that way, he did not know her all that well, after all.

And now, he found himself at the gates of Suna, standing in the dry heat of the desert with the sun scorching his exposed skin, waiting to be escorted in. The Suna guards were wary of him, even though he held a sealed note from the Hokage to confirm his status as a reinstated ANBU Captain. Although his days with Akatsuki were over a long time ago, he knew without doubt that his reputation from that time of his life would always precede him. The guards' almost-hostile reception was understandable.

A moment later, the gates opened to reveal a shinobi clad in dark garments with tribal markings on his face. Itachi vaguely recognized the description of this shinobi, but the man's name escaped him at the moment. Held in his hand was the letter Itachi had passed to the guard earlier, which gave the necessary details of his identity.

"Uchiha," the shinobi greeted with a brief incline of his head. "I'm Kankurou, the Kazekage's right hand."

"Aa." The pertinent information clicked into place. "You're the Kazekage's brother."

Kankurou smirked. "That's me. Now, my guards told me that you're here to retrieve one of your Leaf nins?"

"Yes. Haruno Sakura."

An amused shake of head followed as Kankurou chuckled. "Left without permission, did she?"

His reaction threw Itachi a little, but he did not allow it to show. Instead, he nodded once. "Yes."

Kankurou turned then, gesturing for him to follow. "Let's go then. I'll bring you to her."

Ignoring the tension-filled looks by the guards, Itachi went with the Kazekage's brother, falling into step beside him. As he entered the Suna compound, his eyes scanned his surroundings. In the past when he had been a fresh ANBU, he would never have gained entry to Suna so easily. He had only been within the village once on an ANBU spying mission, when the shinobi village was still ruled by the current Kazekage's father. Relationship between Suna and Konoha had been tense and unfriendly then, unlike their close alliance now. He had heard that it was mainly because of the personal ties that bound the Kazekage and a certain jinchuuriki.

Itachi allowed his eyes to rove over the village as he walked. Suna was different from what he remembered. Before, it was a place where the residents moved in the shadows, fearing anything and everything. The previous Kazekage had used that fear to control them, to make them obey his every whim. Now, the residents, civilian and shinobi alike, moved around freely in the stall-lined streets, chattering loudly and freely, not unlike the atmosphere in Konoha. The buildings also seemed less gloomy, but Itachi knew that it was the contented people there that gave the structures the impression of brightness.

"I hope you're not scoping the place with intentions to attack."

Itachi slanted a sideway glance at the shinobi who had uttered those dry words. Kankurou had a brow raised in question, clearly expecting him to say something.

Lips quirking in bemusement, Itachi responded simply, "We are allies now."

That appeared to be satisfactory, for the Kazekage's brother smirked again. "Yeah, I read the letter from the Hokage. Your undercover role? That was unexpected."

"It was a long time ago," Itachi told him evenly. "I trust the Hokage impressed upon the need to keep the information to yourself?"

Kankurou waved a dismissive hand. "Besides me, only the Kazekage knows."

Itachi acknowledged his words with a nod.

They travelled the rest of the way without any further conversation, passing many earthen domes which formed the buildings in this village. It took another ten minutes before they arrived at a particularly large dome with a cross carved into the sandy surface above a large double door. They had arrived at the hospital.

Itachi once again found himself the recipient of wary glares as they stopped next to the hospital guards.

"Stand down. He's okay," Kankurou told them.

Opening the door, the Kazekage's brother gestured for him to enter before following him in. Like every hospital in a shinobi village, this one was busy as well. Which was not a bad thing since no one cared to spare him a second glance. All the attention he had been receiving was beginning to grate a little.

"She just got here not long ago." Kankurou gave him a sidelong glance. "You must have travelled pretty fast to reach here so soon, eh?"

Itachi simply nodded once, not wishing to elaborate. Wordlessly, he followed Kankurou down a less-used corridor, which appeared almost like a secret passageway judging by all the jutsu barriers set up around the place. He had no doubt that without Kankurou, he would find it challenging to navigate through the maze-like, unmarked corridors.

"You have to understand, though. She is worried about Ryokumori."

Ryokumori.

The mere mention of the name incited an unpleasant sensation of disapproval and displeasure. Ryokumori was the full name the man who had drove Sakura to disobey orders and risk being taken to task for it. Her action mocked her shinobi pledge, for she had just blatantly ignored him without giving him a good enough of a reason. Shinobi got wounded on a regular basis, and that was the nature of their profession. Would she be rushing to Suna each time this man injured himself?

And what was so special about the man that he had to be so securely guarded in the hospital? He must be well connected for a mere shinobi.

"She still left without permission," Itachi pointed out.

"Well, knowing Sakura, is that so surprising? Anyway, no one can blame her, really. She sees him so little," Kankurou went on as he walked along the hospital corridor.

"Why are you defending her actions?" Itachi asked, somewhat curious.

The other shinobi shrugged. "Someone has to explain things to you. With that temper of hers, she probably won't do a good job herself when you confront her."

The familiarity of the way Kankurou spoke of Sakura did not escape him. Mildly, he remarked, "You seem very well-acquainted with her."

Kankurou paused in his steps, stopping in front of the stairwell to give him an odd look. "I suppose so. Sakura stayed here with us for years. Tend to get to know someone pretty well when you live under the same roof."

As surprised as he was at the revelation, Itachi managed to keep his expression impassive. It answered the question of why her records seemed to have holes in them. No one knew much about it because Sakura was here while the rest of Konoha was busy fighting. Those confidential papers had only touched upon her stay in Suna, but the details were sketchy, and none mentioned a prolonged stay. For Sakura to get so close to the Kazekage's family suggested that she had been here all those years during the rebellion.

A twinge of self-condemnation shot through him. He could have found her all those years ago if he had searched in the right place. He could have been spared the torment of thinking that she was dead. Suna was one of the places he had not checked. He had not realized that she had such close contacts here, let alone those close enough to allow her to remain for years.

"Why didn't she return to Konoha?" Itachi asked finally.

Kankurou turned away from him, a fond smile tugging the corner of his lips as he began to move again, climbing up the stairs. "Because of Ryokumori."

The unpleasant clenching sensation in his heart was growing to be a familiar accompaniment to that detested name. Sakura had forgone participation in the rebellion because of this man. And knowing her loyalty to Konoha, the choice was not a small one. It proved to him just how precious this Ryo was to her.

"Almost there," Kankurou announced as they turned the corner, bypassing two heavily armed sentries who nodded in greeting at the Kazekage's brother.

The puppet master was silent as he led the way to one of the two rooms at the end of the wing. Itachi noted that it was a highly guarded area, considering the presence of four more Suna ANBU lining the hallway further down. Itachi frowned inwardly at the sight, once again wondering why the increased security measure was necessary in the first place.

"They're in the last room, just next to the ANBU."

From the distance, he could hear Sakura's voice filtering through the door, her tone harsh, but he could not make out what she was saying. There was another person with her. Male, speaking calmly, in low tones. And again, Itachi could not discern the actual words. By the time he was close enough to do so, the voices halted, in response to his presence, no doubt.

It did not matter. He was simply here for the kunoichi who had so blatantly disobeyed his direct order. Sakura had to be reminded that she could not simply ignore him, despite their personal past.

Kankurou stopped in front of the door, his hand resting on the doorknob. "Sakura is inside with Ryokumori and the Kazekage."

Ah, the Kazekage. Itachi nodded as the other shinobi pushed open the door, allowing him to take a step into the room.

Then he froze at the sight that greeted him.

He did not know what he had expected, but it was certainly not this.

There were three people in the airy hospital room. The Kazekage was standing to one side of the bed while Sakura sat on the other side. She was bent over the patient, whose maroon hair was just a couple of shades darker than the Kazekage's. The concern on her expression was clear for all to see, and while the Kazekage seemed outwardly calm, it was clear that he was just as anxious from his troubled eyes.

Itachi felt his chest tighten as he made the connection between the Kazekage and the person Sakura was leaning over. As he made the connection between the person and Sakura herself.

Without turning around, Sakura intoned dully, "So now you know who Ryo is, huh?"

Not knowing what he could say to this, Itachi remained silent as he ran his eyes over the unconscious body lying on the bed.

A small body.

A body of a child who could not be more than five or six years old.

000

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000

A/N: A good place to end this chapter, I think. (Grins) Well, hope you found the chapter enjoyable, as well as informative. Please review if you could, okay? I'd love to see what you think.

:elle6778:


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: I'm pleasantly surprised by your responses for the previous chapter – so thank you so much for the reviews. I've posted a picture of Ryo in deviantart – the link is in my profile page, so you can check it out before reading this chapter. Anyway, without further ado, here's the next instalment…

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 9**

Sakura was acutely aware of the presence of the man standing at the door even though her eyes were fixed to the boy in the bed. This was not how she had wanted him to find out about Ryo. Hell, she did not want him to find out about Ryo at all.

But she should have known that he would not simply let things be. She should have known that he would come after her. He was nothing if not tenacious when it came to getting his way.

"Kazekage-sama."

"Uchiha."

She did not look up from Ryo as the two shinobi greeted each other, their tones reserved. They continued to converse quietly, but she did not pay them any notice. She was only vaguely aware that Kankurou had left them. Her attention was fully fixed on the unconscious boy who was shifting restlessly on the bed, small moans intermittently escaping his lips. Her fingers were threaded through his smaller ones, while her other hand stroked his thick maroon hair the way she had always done when putting him to sleep when he was younger.

Her little boy.

Tears burned behind her eyelids. She was being stupid. She knew that he would get injured at some point; he was a shinobi, after all, albeit a fresh genin. But she had not expected him to be hurt so badly on his first external escort mission.

The urge to continue snarling and to ranting at Gaara was strong. She had vented earlier, until Gaara had warned her that Itachi and Kankurou were approaching. Whatever her feelings were, she did not want the Uchiha to hear such a personal argument between her and Gaara. For it _was_ personal. Ryo was personal to both her and Gaara.

"Sakura."

She looked up to find Gaara staring at her impassively. "What?" she muttered in a deadened tone.

"I have matters to attend to. We will speak tonight."

She nodded, slightly comforted by the fact that Gaara knew she had plenty more questions about how this had happened. But now was not the time to address them. "I'll see you later."

"I'll have your room prepared."

She flicked a quick glance at Ryo before telling Gaara, "I prefer to stay here."

Gaara stared at her for a moment, as if contemplating the wisdom of forcing her hand. In the end, he only said, "I will come by later."

Once again, she nodded.

Turning to the Uchiha, Gaara asked expressionlessly, "I assume you're remaining in Suna overnight?"

"Yes, Kazekage-sama."

"I will send someone to assist you with your stay."

In other words, Gaara wanted Itachi watched. Clearly, the message he had gotten from Kakashi earlier had not been enough to assure the Kazekage that the ex-Akatsuki was to be trusted. Wondering how Itachi was taking it, she darted a glance at him, only to find him inclining his head politely at the redheaded leader of Suna.

"I thank you for your hospitality, Kazekage-sama."

One couldn't find much fault with his manners, certainly, Sakura thought as she returned her attention to Ryo. She itched to check the little boy over, but unfortunately, she had depleted almost all her chakra in her mad dash here. She had barely stopped all the way from Konoha to Suna in her rush to get here.

A click sounded then, signaling Gaara's exit. She was uncomfortably aware of the fact she was now alone with Itachi and Ryo, an arrangement that she had not foreseen happening. Ever.

And it frightened her.

Itachi was clearly shocked, even though he had quickly masked his reaction. He had not expected Ryo to be a child. As bad as she felt for deceiving him in this way, she did not regret it. She did not regret keeping her son safe from any potential danger. And until she knew where she stood with Itachi, the Uchiha would always be a danger to them.

For a long while, the only sound that could be heard in the room was Ryo's soft breathing, occasionally punctuated by harsh drags of breath that betrayed his discomfort. It pained her to see Ryo like this, and she would rather take all his pain onto herself tenfold.

Blinking back tears, she stroked Ryo's forehead soothingly, hoping that subconsciously, he knew that she was there and he was well-taken care of. That he had nothing to worry about now that he was back in Suna. Though one could think otherwise from the level of security Gaara had placed around the village, particularly around this room ever since Ryo had been brought in. Gaara clearly did not want to take any more chances when it came to Ryo.

"You never said Ryo is a child."

Itachi's smooth, quiet voice broke the silence, making her tense further. She licked her lips nervously, wondering how she should handle this. She still haven't quite figured out if she should trust him, which made it difficult for her to decide if she could tell him the whole truth.

Finally, she settled for, "You didn't ask."

A moment of silence passed before Itachi spoke. "You simply allowed me to arrive at the erroneous conclusion."

Not answering him, she stopped stroking Ryo's hair to rest her palm against his forehead, just above his long-lashed eyes. There was a very mild fever, but that was usual in his condition. His body was fighting to mend itself, and that was good. A sigh of relief left her. At least Ryo would heal.

Disentangling her fingers from Ryo's clammy ones, she tucked in the white sheets around his body more securely. He had lost a little weight, she noted. Must be from all the travelling and trail rations. That could not be healthy for a growing boy.

"What happened to him?"

She flicked a glance at Itachi, to find him staring at Ryo with an odd look. For a moment, apprehension stabbed through her as she wondered what he was thinking. Why was he still standing there in the space between the bed and the door? Why was he asking these questions? He was not one for small talk, so he had to be truly interested in the answer.

Turning back to Ryo, she answered softly, "Ryo's team was sent out on a regular low-ranked escort mission. They ended up being ambushed, leaving only him and his jounin team leader alive. His two other genin teammates, both in their early teens, are dead. Those they were escorting were also killed."

"He is… fortunate."

She threw a sharp look at Itachi, expecting to see some form of disdain, but was stunned to find that he actually looked rather troubled. What was worse was that his eyes, now red with Sharingan, were scanning Ryo's still form, much to her utter horror and bewilderment.

What the hell was he doing?

She jumped up instinctively, placing herself defensively between Itachi and Ryo. "Stop it!" she snarled.

Itachi immediately deactivated his bloodline limit, the tightening of his jaw betraying his annoyance at her move. His voice, however, remained mild when he told her, "I mean him no harm."

She said nothing in return, but she did not shift from her position. Honestly, she did not know what to say or how to react to him. How had he expected her to respond when he so suddenly activated his bloodline limit? Her heart was still thumping hard at the thought of more danger coming Ryo's way.

Itachi finally asked in a mildly terse tone, "What happened? Why were they attacked?"

"I don't know," she admitted, frustrated at her ignorance.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. The only sound in the room was Ryo's breaths, which continued to turn harsh intermittently, jolting something inside Sakura each time he did so. If only she had some chakra left to check him over. It was not that she did not trust the Suna medics. She had trained most of them, after all. But she would feel better if she could do it herself.

"He's yours, I gather."

Sakura stilled, her eyes widening slightly. It did not even occur to her to think that Itachi might consider otherwise. Then again, although Ryo had most of her features, his hair was clearly much darker than hers.

"Yes. He is," she murmured softly, sitting back down beside her son.

"And he lives in Suna."

She knew what he was asking, and she smiled rather bitterly. When Ryo was born, speculations had run rife over his lineage. Ryo had maroon hair and green eyes, and so did the Kazekage, although Gaara's hair and eyes were lighter shades. Most people had understandably arrived at the conclusion that Gaara had fathered Ryo.

"He was born in Suna, and lived here for the entirety of his first year, which makes him a citizen of Suna," she explained, eyes not leaving Ryo.

Itachi was silent for a long while. And when he finally voiced his thoughts, she swore she could hear a hint of resignation in his words. "If he resides in Konoha, you will not need to travel here so often."

"It's not so easy."

"Why?"

She worded her answer carefully. "I don't think Gaara will approve."

The air suddenly became heavier, and Sakura knew precisely why it had done so. Even without looking at him, Sakura knew that Itachi had tensed at her words, clearly coming to the same conclusion the majority of people had done.

She shut her eyes as her chest squeezed tightly with emotion, mainly regret.

If only things were different.

If only their relationship, past and present, was not filled with lies.

000

* * *

000

It was an understatement to say that he was shaken.

In fact, shaken was not all he felt. He also felt foolish for the antagonistic thoughts he had been harboring towards an innocent child. It was the result of being uninformed, and from jumping to his own conclusions based on incomplete information, information that Sakura had withheld from him. But now that he knew who Ryo was, the situation was worse, as far as his pursuit of Sakura was concerned.

He had not expected Sakura to have a son, let alone one with the Kazekage of Suna. Her unmarried status was another thing to consider. For some reason, the Kazekage had not bothered to rectify the situation. Or perhaps Sakura had not wished for it. It was confusing, and Itachi did not know what to think.

The entire event seemed… surreal. Or perhaps it seemed that way because he did not wish to acknowledge that it was painfully real.

But he had to. He could not simply ignore the boy, Itachi thought as he ran his eyes over the sleeping figure. Ryo did not possess Sakura's pink hair, and since his eyes were closed, he could not tell if the boy took after his mother's coloring. His nose and shape of his face were clearly Sakura's as well as his skin tone. If one was to ignore his hair and chin, it could be said that Ryo was a miniature, male version of Sakura.

Sakura had not lied. The boy was undeniably her offspring. And the words she had uttered suggested that Ryo was in Suna because the Kazekage refused to allow him to reside in Konoha. Clearly, that meant that eventually, Sakura might move to Suna to join her son.

That was simply unacceptable.

Realizing that he had not responded to her words, Itachi told her quietly, "Surely the Kazekage would not wish to separate a mother and son."

Her lips twisted slightly, but she did not meet his gaze. "Ryo goes back to Konoha quite often, usually. At least once a month. But I've been visiting him these days."

Ever since his arrival, Itachi added silently, knowing what she had left unsaid. His presence had kept Sakura's son away from her. He felt a twinge of guilt, but he immediately brushed it away. Sakura could have saved herself all this trouble if she had just told him the truth.

This had the potential to affect his plans for their reconciliation. No, not the _potential_, he amended mentally_._ He was _certain_ that he would have to reconsider his moves now that Ryo identity had come to light.

Hiding his discomfiture behind his usual mask of impassivity, he watched Sakura stroke the boy's spiky dark red hair soothingly. As he did so, an odd feeling welled up within him. A feeling he could not quite put a name to. Perhaps it was envy. But of what? Of the bonds Sakura shared with this child and the Kazekage? Whilst it was understandable that he was envious it came to the Kazekage, he found himself at a loss to comprehend how he could feel that way towards a child. It seemed almost mean-spirited to deprive the child of Sakura's affections.

No, that was not it. Now that he knew who Ryo was, he could not begrudge him Sakura's affections. Perhaps the feeling he had in relation to those two stemmed from the desire to be a part of them. To be together.

As a family.

His chest tightened painfully. He had a family before, a family that he had ended up slaughtering on Konoha's orders. Granted, they had been traitorous, but they were still his family. With such an act hanging over his head, who was he to even consider the possibility of another family? Surely one such as him was undeserving of such a blessing.

Silence continued to enshroud the room. He was not the most conversational of persons, and faced with this situation, Itachi found himself even more at a loss for words. Perhaps he should keep to the professional issues for now, at least until he came to some form of solution to their personal issues.

"The ANBU assessments will recommence soon."

Without looking up, she muttered, "I know."

"You will need to return to Konoha."

Her eyes snapped up then, fury and disbelief sparking from those emerald orbs. In a terse voice, she told him edgily, "I'm not returning to Konoha until I'm sure Ryo is out of danger."

"I don't mean for you to return right at this moment," he clarified, tamping down on the urge to run a hand through his hair in frustration. If these misunderstandings between them would cease to occur, then perhaps their interactions might not be so hostile every time.

She eyed him warily.

Clearly, a gesture of goodwill from his side would be necessary to appease her. "I will see to it that it is postponed," he told her mildly.

Shock graced her face, followed quickly by a brief flash of suspicion. "You will delay the ANBU assessments?"

"Aa."

"What about the rest of the ANBU?"

"They can wait."

"But you're in Suna now," she rebutted. "They're probably waiting for your instructions back in Konoha."

"I will send a message to the Hokage." He inclined his head at the sleeping child. "You may tend to him first."

It was clear from her expression that she did not know if she should believe him or not. But at least she was no longer aggressively angry with him. Her current confusion was preferable. Not for the first time, he wished that things had taken a different turn more than six years ago.

Then, so quiet that he barely heard her, she murmured, "Thank you."

Only then did he release the pent up breath that he had not realized he was holding. Her small acceptance was all it took to considerably pacify the strain he had been experiencing ever since he had stepped into this room. The way she affected him was considered a definite weakness in the shinobi circles, but he did not seem to care.

He swept a look at the sleeping boy again, noting the dark lashes fanning against slightly chubby pale cheeks. His rounded face was an odd contrast with his comparatively slender body, but most children was somewhat disproportionate like so. Ryo's skin was a couple of shades darker than his mothers, which was understandable considering where he resided.

When his perusal led him to the child's chin, he was struck by another pang of something indescribable. Could he be experiencing such a feeling because this little person was important to Sakura? And therefore, by extension, was important to him as well?

A feeling of being watched made him shift his gaze to find Sakura staring at him with an unmistakably guarded expression. Her reaction confused him, and also hurt him to some degree, for it was almost as if she feared something from him. It was probably the same thing that had prompted her to jump between him and the boy earlier. Surely she did not think that he would harm her son?

"Is something the matter?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes flickered but the wariness remained even as she responded, "Why were you looking at Ryo like that?"

Itachi picked his answer carefully. "He takes after you."

The flash of relief across her features was so brief that if he hadn't been looking for it, he probably would have missed it. Was she relieved because Ryo resembled her more than his father? Or was it for some other reason?

It was infuriating how he was unable to read her as easily as he had done in the past.

Suddenly, the events of the past half an hour hit him with a force of a sledgehammer, sending a tremor through his body. It was as if the reaction had been delayed by his shock, and was now just catching up with him. He felt suffocated by the implications of everything that had been revealed.

Before this, Ryo had just been a name, not as substantial as something living and breathing. But now, he was corporeal and was lying there right in front of him.

It was hard to accept that while they had been apart, while he had been searching for her desperately, Sakura had gotten close to another man. And now, Sakura was a mother to this boy sleeping on the bed. And even though the boy resided in Suna with his father, Sakura was clearly attached to him.

It was almost too much to take in. And he knew that he needed to remove himself from the situation to scrutinize it objectively. Before he overreacted.

With that thought, he told her, "I will update the Hokage on the situation."

She blinked slowly at him, as if surprised. "Okay."

Without another word, he made his way to the door and left.

000

* * *

000

Sakura dozed on and off beside Ryo's hospital bed until the evening, her chakra depletion and exhaustion of travelling non-stop at top speed from Konoha to Suna finally catching up with her. To her despair, each time she opened her eyes, it was only to find that Ryo still asleep. From what Gaara had managed to tell her earlier of their retrieval, this meant that Ryo had been unconscious for more than two days.

Straightening from the bed, she tested the level of her chakra. It was now fully replenished after her brief rest and the meal she had eaten a few hours ago.

Without further ado, she pressed her glowing hands onto Ryo's chest, sending her chakra through his body to probe his system. Her brows furrowed in concentration, she took note of every recently-healed injuries and any other thing that stood out. From what she could tell, Ryo had sustained minor surface wounds only, which was odd, given his current condition.

She was about to withdraw her chakra when she suddenly felt something foreign, and yet, oddly familiar. Wondering what it was, she shifted to focus her chakra in that specific location. It was concentrated on his left arm. From what she could tell, the area which seem to contain some sort of void, which did not make sense. It was almost as if there was a barrier there, which was why it was almost undetectable.

A little alarmed by her findings, she halted her chakra flow to physically inspect the fleshy area on Ryo's lower arm. Her fingers pressed firmly up and down, seeking the item her chakra could not locate. She had to be thorough; it would not do to miss a thing.

Finally, she found a slightly firmer lump, no larger than the size of a pea, halfway down his lower arm. Her eyes immediately narrowed as she reached into her medics pouch for a sterile tweezer and held it while her other hand hovered over the invisible lump.

A burst of chakra later, a clean incision was made. Quickly, she inserted the tip of the tweezer into the bleeding opening and withdrew the foreign object.

It was all she could do to keep from gasping out loud when she saw what it was. How the hell had it gotten into Ryo in the first place?

Taking a sample vial out of her pouch, she dropped the object in and corked it tightly.

Lips thinned in a mix of displeasure and confusion, she quickly healed Ryo's arm, closing the incision she had just made.

Almost immediately, she noticed the change. Ryo was no longer moving restlessly and his breathing was growing increasingly even by the minute. It was as if it had affected him adversely, keeping him in a troubled sleep. She wondered if its removal meant that he would wake up soon.

If only she knew more about the Shinjutama. She had abandoned her research when she ran off to Suna, and had never returned to pick them up again from Yugakure. It had never been very important to her then. But right now, it would be useful to understand what it had done to her son. And more importantly, how had it ended up in Ryo.

Sighing heavily, she simply sat staring at him with multitudes of suspicions running through her head. She had no proof of anything, and she really needed to find out more about what had happened to her son first. And for that, she needed Gaara.

Whatever it was, it could not be good.

It was already late in the evening when Gaara returned to the hospital room. The moment he stepped in, he made a beeline for the sleeping boy, his stoic mask wavering as his jade eyes swept over Ryo. He was clearly fighting to control his temper.

"This is unacceptable."

His voice was low and flat, but Sakura knew by now to recognize the danger in it. She was as angry as Gaara was about this, and she hated the fact that she was helpless to prevent it. But now, all she wanted to know was what had happened to Ryo before she informed Gaara of her findings.

"What happened, Gaara? You didn't finish telling me earlier. There was an ambush, you said."

Gaara nodded. "They were escorting the merchants from Tea back to this village. The ambush happened just before they crossed the border into Wind Country. Two of his teammates were killed, but the team leader managed to escape with him by teleporting them to the nearest Sand ANBU border camp. He sustained terrible wounds, and only managed to tell the ANBU there this much before he collapsed."

Perhaps the team leader, Hatsumoto would have more information. "Where is he now?"

"In another wing of the hospital, heavily guarded." Gaara's jaw tightened. "He is in a coma."

Sakura heart sank at the news. She remembered how Ryo had gone on so enthusiastically about his Hatsumoto-Sensei, even though half of his chatter was made up of complaints of how strict the man was. The news of his condition was distressing. Firstly, it was because the man who had helped her son was now unconscious to the world, and secondly, because they would get no clue as to whom those attackers were until either Ryo or the team leader woke up.

She darted a quick glance at Ryo, and then to Gaara as an idea took hold. "Can you transfer Hatsumoto-san here?"

Quickly catching on to her intent, Gaara asked, "You think you could bring him out of the coma?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I have to at least try to help him."

The Kazekage stood up and went to the door, where he leaned out to say a few hushed words to the ANBU outside. She waited until Gaara had closed the door before she stood up, walking towards him until there were merely inches apart. She could not risk anyone overhearing them. He looked a little surprised at her move, but he did not stop her from leaning close to his ear.

"I found a Shinjutama fragment in his arm," she told him.

Gaara immediately tensed. He moved his head slightly until his lips all but touched her ears. If it was anyone else, the situation would be discomfiting, but this was Gaara. She was comfortable with him.

"Are you certain?" he asked in a very low voice.

She nodded.

"You gave those you collected to Danzou years ago," he continued. "He had used them in weapons, amongst other things."

"I know. Someone could have gotten hold of one of the weapons and figured out what the Shinjutama is for," she finished with a heavy sigh. "This could cause a lot of trouble."

"How did it get into Ryokumori?"

Sakura glanced worriedly over her shoulders at the boy. "I don't know, Gaara. I really don't know."

And the unknown was the very thing that she feared.

000

* * *

000

"All done?"

Itachi turned to find the Kazekage's brother regarding him inquiringly. Kankurou was his official escort for the remainder of his visit.

They were at the tower which housed the messenger birds, and he had just sent a short note to the Hokage updating him on the situation. Kakashi had specifically instructed him to relay news on Ryo's condition, clearly understanding that Sakura would be too distraught to do it.

The message he had sent did just that, informing the Hokage of the ambush and that the boy had not regained consciousness, and therefore, Sakura would remain in Suna until he did so. Itachi had hesitated momentarily when he was composing the message, uncertain if he should return now, but finally, he had said that he would remain until Sakura was ready to leave.

Somehow, something told him that the Hokage would not disapprove of his extended stay.

"Uchiha?"

At Kankurou's prompt, he nodded. "It's done."

The puppet master gave him a searching look, and then nodded. "Good. Let me show you where you'll be staying."

Itachi followed silently as the Suna nin led him down the messaging tower to the streets below. As they went past the busy street, Itachi kept his attention focused on the crowd, careful not to be taken unawares. Spending more than a decade as a hunted missing-nin had instilled a healthy amount of wariness in him when it came to crowds.

Soon, they reached a large dome-shaped building with circular windows dotting its surface. It was tall, suggesting to Itachi that there were multiple stories within.

"Let go in," Kankurou invited as he stepped through the main door.

Itachi followed him up to the first floor, up a circular stairs through the center of the building. A short walk along an empty corridor brought him to a simply decorated accommodation. The single, large room contained a double bed to one side, and what appeared to be a living area on the other side. There was a door leading to another room which Itachi guessed to be the bathroom.

Gesturing with an arm, the Kazekage's brother announced, "This is it."

Nodding, Itachi murmured, "Thank you."

"So, how long will you be staying?" Kankurou asked casually as he leaned against the wall next to the door.

The question sounded casual, but Itachi knew that it was not. In an even tone, he replied, "I will leave when Sakura leaves."

The tribal markings could not hide the confused frown on Kankurou's face. "I'm sure she doesn't need an escort back to Konoha. That kunoichi can punch holes through walls."

"Hm," Itachi murmured noncommittally.

The Suna nin stared at him thoughtfully. "But I guess it's always safer travelling with a partner than alone." His eyes shifted away to land out of the window as he released a harsh sigh. "Not that it stopped people from attacking Ryokumori."

"Any suspects?" Itachi asked curiously, wondering if it could be the work of Suna's enemies.

Kankurou shook his head, turning back to him. With a grimace of displeasure, he said, "It was a low ranked mission. Borderline D-rank to C-rank. Ryokumori is only a genin, after all. The attack was unexpected. Our clients weren't even carrying anything important."

"The boy is very young, to be a genin, that is," Itachi pointed out, even though he had to stop his subconscious from reminding him that he was probably not much older when he became a genin in Konoha. The only other person who had graduated the Konoha Academy earlier was Hatake Kakashi.

Kankurou chuckled bemusedly. "Ah, yes. That was a funny story. Not for Sakura, I'm sure, but it was amusing at that time."

Itachi raised an inquiring brow.

The Suna nin gave him another searching look, and then he shrugged. "Ah, well, none of it is a big secret anyway." Settling down comfortably on the nearby couch, Kankurou explained, "I suppose you know that Sakura had stayed here until up to two years ago, right?"

Itachi nodded once in acknowledgement.

"Well, after she went back to Konoha, she visited quite often." Kankurou's brows furrowed in remembrance. "Maybe every two weeks or so. Used to bring her work here to do while she visited. But after the first year, she was assigned more and more field missions. Made it difficult for her to visit regularly."

Itachi recalled encountering her around that time, when she had been separated from her squad. If he had known her identity then, he would not have allowed her to leave. But his inability to distinguish between different people's chakra signatures made it impossible for him to identify her at that time.

The Suna nin continued, "It happened when Sakura was sent off on a six-week long mission. Probably knowing that his Okaa-san won't be back in time to stop him, the kid enrolled himself into the Ninja Academy, claiming that the Kazekage had approved it." Kankurou smirked. "Gaara did no such thing, of course. He only found out about it a week later when he got suspicious of the kid being gone from his usual play places. And when he saw what Ryokumori could do, it just seemed pointless to pull him out of training."

The corner of Itachi's lips quirked at the precociousness of the child. "Sakura was not pleased, I take it?"

Kankurou snorted. "That's an understatement, alright. Sakura was ready to kill us all when she found out. She didn't want the kid to start all this ninja stuff so soon. But everyone can see just how gifted he is. Gaara was the only other person so skilled at that age, but then again, Gaara had a bijuu inside him at that time. Anyway, Ryokumori's strength is in his chakra control, like his mother."

It was difficult to say how he felt at the revelation.

On one hand, the shinobi in him applauded Sakura for bringing to life someone who was obviously going to be an asset to one's village. Another part of him, however, could not help but wonder if the boy would be subjected to the same sort of expectations he himself had endured as a child.

Ryo seemed to be a favorite topic of Kankurou's, for the Kazekage's brother went on proudly, "I still remember Sakura's face the first time the kid walked up a wall. Turned out that he managed to talk a chuunin into teaching him." And then, as if realizing just to whom he was speaking to, Kankurou made a disgusted face. "Look at me going on about Sakura's kid."

"He sound… interesting," Itachi remarked.

Kankurou grinned briefly. "Eh, I can go on and on when it comes to Ryokumori. He's the latest addition to our little family after all. I'm sure in five year's time, when he's capable of kicking me to the end of the desert, I'll change my tune."

Itachi blinked slowly at him, a little bewildered by the man's frankness. He was not accustomed to such openness from foreign nins. Before the massacre, village relations had been more hostile, regardless of any surface alliance. And his time in the Akatsuki had not changed that. In fact, he had been even more on guard in the Akatsuki.

"So, now that I've spilled my guts, it's your turn."

"Pardon?" Itachi ventured cautiously.

Kankurou raised a brow. "I'm just curious how you can walk back into Konoha like nothing has changed. Can't be easy, after all the things you've done."

"It is tolerable," he responded cryptically.

"You've been off the radar for a while as well. Years, in fact. Our spies heard nothing from you since your battle with your brother."

"Aa. I've been keeping a low profile," Itachi admitted guardedly, certain now that the other nin was seeking a specific information. But what information did he wish to obtain?

"You're not very forthcoming, are you?"

Itachi smirked slightly.

Kankurou pinned him with a steady look. "Answer me one last thing then."

"Depends on what it is."

"Fair enough." The Suna nin asked, "Where were you six and a half years ago?"

Itachi tensed inwardly, wondering why such information would be of interest to Suna. From what he could tell, it was not something important enough for anyone to take any interest in. After all, the information was more of a personal nature.

"Why do you wish to know?" he returned slowly.

Kankurou shrugged. "Just curious. Humor me, will you?"

"I wasn't an active shinobi then."

"Aa." The Suna nin nodded. "Were you in Spring Country, by any chance?"

"Perhaps."

Kankurou all but grinned then, leaving Itachi even more suspicious of his intent. However, it was quite clear that the Suna nin would not enlighten him of what it might be. Something told him that it probably had something to do with Sakura, since at that time, he had been busy keeping his true identity from her. Perhaps she had spoken to Kankurou of her relationship with a civilian prior to moving to Suna, which could be the reason for the other nin's interest. After all, she seemed quite close to the Sand siblings.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then." Kankurou walked out of the door. Pausing there, he glanced over his shoulders and said, "You're free to walk around the common areas, but it's best that you avoid the administrative building and the Kazekage's residence. Those are restricted areas, so you'll need an escort to get in."

"Understood." Politely, Itachi added, "Thank you for your hospitality."

Kankurou smirked. "Welcomed."

And with that, the Kazekage's brother left.

Itachi strode to the window, glancing out briefly to the streets below before he pulled the wooden shutters shut, instantly blocking out the heat and glare of the late afternoon sun. A sigh of relief escaped his lips then. The heat and brightness was a little too much at times.

He utilized the bathroom, cleansing away the dust from his travels, before changing into clean clothing. Once done, he laid down on the bed, staring up at the nondescript ceiling, wondering what he should do with the current situation.

There was a weight on his chest, a weight which felt suspiciously like hopelessness. He did not like the feeling, but he understood where it was coming from. Pursuing Sakura when she was supposedly seeing a random Suna shinobi, with the intention of pushing aside said man, was one thing. Pursuing Sakura when he did not even know the current state of the relationship between her and the Kazekage was another matter. He did not wish cause an international incident.

To decide his next move, he needed more information. He was already in possession of a certain amount of information concerning the boy, but what he needed now was more information on Sakura's and the Kazekage's relationship. It would be difficult, for he was certain that the Kazekage was not the type of man to brandish about such details.

He sighed heavily as he raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose.

This quest to pursue Sakura had just gotten more complicated.

000

* * *

000

Gaara had Ryo's team leader transferred to Ryo's room at the crack of dawn. Hatsumoto was not young, at least, not by shinobi standards. He was probably the same generation as Kakashi and had clearly been through a lot, judging by the multitudes of faded scars decorating his form. He was tall, with wiry muscles under his dark skin which contrasted sharply with the golden hair on his head. If she remembered correctly, the man had blue eyes like Naruto.

As she had done with Ryo, Sakura had carefully searched through the shinobi's body, dreading what she might find. However, her efforts were proven futile because unlike Ryo, there was not a single Shinjutama fragment in his body. The man was in a normal coma. It was most likely the way his body had chosen to repair itself from the damages of the battle.

Mindful of Gaara's instruction to return the man back to his own room, she glanced at him regretfully again before she moved her hands away. Sakura sighed, hating the fact that she could not do anything to help.

Straightening from the side of his wheeled bed, she went to the door and opened it. The usual ANBU was there when she peeked out, his masked face turned towards her inquiringly when he saw her.

"Can you send Hatsumoto-san back to his room?" she asked.

In a subdued voice, he asked, "He didn't respond to treatment?"

Sakura shook her head slowly. "Unfortunately, no."

The ANBU only nodded, but she had a feeling that he was saddened by the news. They probably knew each other.

After the ANBU had wheeled Hatsumoto out of the room, Sakura allowed herself to sink back on the bed beside Ryo. There was no Shinjutama in Hatsumoto, only Ryo. Did that mean that Ryo had been specifically targeted? Or was it just a coincidence?

She was unable to tell, and it worried her.

A knock sounded on the door before it cracked open to reveal a different masked Suna ANBU, the very same one who had delivered her breakfast this morning. He held a tray in his hand.

"Your lunch, Haruno-san," the ANBU murmured behind his mask.

Surprised, she glanced out of the window, only now realizing that it was past noon. One of the Sand siblings must have realized that she would not leave the room, and had arranged for her meals to be brought here, because similar trays had appeared this morning and last night as well.

"Thank you, ANBU-san." Gesturing to the table next to the door, she asked, "Can you just leave it there, please?"

With a nod, the ANBU did as he was told.

Once the door shut behind the ANBU with a soft click, she stood up and walked towards the table. The tray contained tea, some rice with a side dish of spiced meat and vegetables. She smiled, making a mental note to thank the Sand siblings for sending one of her favorite meals.

Picking up the chopsticks, she sat down on the padded chair beside the table and took the first mouthful of spicy food. Her work on Hatsumoto earlier had sapped her energy, and now she was very hungry. It occurred to her briefly as she chewed that she should really have tested the food first before she began to eat, but she tasted no poison. Besides, she would bet that Gaara had instructed the ANBU to test everything that passed into this room. He would not take any chances when it came to Ryo.

Which made it even worse that Ryo's team had come under attack in the first place. Gaara would only have send Ryo to the safest missions, despite Ryo's obvious skills. He was almost as protective as she was of Ryo, something which eased her mind greatly when she left Ryo in Suna under his care all this time.

A subtle shift in the air jolted her out of her deliberations.

She immediately jumped up and spun around, her eyes wide with hope.

The small figure in the bed turned to his side, his lips parting to emit a breathy croak.

Her half-eaten lunch immediately forgotten, she dashed back to the bed, her heart almost bursting with joy when his eyelids fluttered open to reveal emerald green eyes so much like hers. They were a little unfocussed, but to Sakura, it one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

"Ryo-chan!" she cried out.

With a choked sound of relief, she leaned over him to give him a gentle hug. He was awake and he was okay.

"O-Okaa-san?" he croaked brokenly in his childish voice, against her collarbone.

Sakura was almost tempted to tell him to give up his new life of a shinobi there and then. But she knew that she couldn't. Not if she wanted him to be happy. He had grown up amongst shinobi and all he had wanted was to be one. In fact, the last time she had visited, he had announced that he aspired to be the Kazekage. She did not know what to make of it, because that meant that Ryo wanted to remain in Suna permanently. If that was the case, then her choices were rather limited.

But one thing at the time.

Tamping down on her tumultuous emotions, she forced out a smile as she straightened to look at him. "How are you feeling?"

The boy winced as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, allowing the white hospital sheet to fall to his lap to reveal his kunai-print white pajamas. "A little sore here and there. But I'm okay." Then, his eyes searching hers, he added bravely, "Don't worry. I'm fine." His green eyes flashed with concern a moment later. "Where are Hatsumoto-sensei, Mamoru and Rei?"

Sakura winced inwardly, dreading what she was about to tell her son. It would scar him, she knew. The loss of one's teammates and friends always had such an effect. But it could not be helped, even though it unfortunate that it had to happen at all. Such was the life of a shinobi.

"Hatsumoto-sensei is in the hospital." Regretting that she would be dashing away the relief in her son's face, she forced herself to continue quietly, "Mamoru and Rei were the casualties of the battle."

His face immediately crumpled. "Casualties? Mamoru and Rei…" His voice hitched. "They are dead?" he whispered with a hint of confused disbelief.

Nodding, Sakura drew him into a hug, hoping that she could take away his pain and confusion. Her boy was far too young to be subjected to this. This was why she did not want him to become a shinobi so quickly. Ryo, however, had to take matters into his own hands without her consent. She only hoped that this would not traumatize him too much in the long run.

She felt like crying herself when his small form began to shake against her as he sobbed. It probably did nothing to help, but she ran her hand up and down his back in soothing motions.

Finally, after a long while, Ryo's cries shuddered to a halt and he straightened, staring forward with bleak, red-rimmed eyes. Looking so lost that it wrenched her heart, he rubbed his eyes slowly. She did not bother telling him that it would be okay, because that wouldn't do a thing to make things better. Only time could lessen the sorrow.

She reached out to push his messy hair out of his damp face. "What happened that day?"

He stilled his motions, hands dropping to his lap. And then his expression scrunched up in anger. His childish voice was trembling when he told her, "These rogues just came out of nowhere in the middle of our mission and attacked us!"

Rogues? Her heart hammering faster as suspicion deepened, she asked, "What did they look like?"

Ryo blinked, frowning a little as if trying to remember. Finally, he described, "Black clothes. There's this weird black strip across their faces."

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath when she realized that Ryo had just given her the exact depiction of the group that had attacked her just one week ago. This was too much to be a coincidence. They were clearly targeting her and Ryo. But why? How did this relate to the Shinjutama she had found in him? Was there a group out there that had been collecting Danzou's Shinjutama weapons?

Reaching out for the arm she had taken the Shinjutama fragment from, she asked him, "Do you remember if you were wounded here?"

He pulled his arm away from her immediately. "It's only a flesh wound, 'Kaa-san," he defended. "It's nothing."

She almost rolled her eyes. "This is not the time to be showing off, Ryo-chan. Now tell me, what happened to this arm?" she asked, pointing at the exact spot where she had found the Shinjutama fragment.

Reluctance clearly written on his rounded face, he told her, "One of them grabbed me and stabbed me with this weird weapon."

"How weird?" she asked patiently.

"Like a kunai, but not so flat."

It was then that the door swung open cautiously, and in peered a masked ANBU. His body tensed, and then relaxed visibly when he saw Ryo. The relief in the masked shinobi's form was unmistakable. Not for the first time, Sakura noticed that Ryo had a lot of people who cared for him in Suna.

"I'll inform the Kazekage of this development," the ANBU told her briskly, before disappearing again, leaving her no time to thank him.

Turning back to her son, she found him staring at the closed door worriedly. She knew him well enough to understand his concern. But Ryo probably did not fully comprehend just how much Gaara doted on him, because the Kazekage was not one to show affection openly.

In a pained voice, he muttered, "He will be angry that the mission failed and Mamoru and Rei…" He swallowed hard before continuing in an almost inaudible voice, "… died."

"Don't worry over things like that, okay, Ryo-chan?" she told him gently. "Let's just hear what he has to say when he comes."

Ryo nodded slowly.

For a long while after that, they just sat there quietly, taking comfort in each other's presence.

000

* * *

000

Itachi stood by the window of his guest accommodations, staring out at the brisk movements of the Suna residences under the afternoon sun. He had never thought that there would be an occasion where he could simply sit and observe the activities of the people in this village so casually.

Shinobi were scattered around, some merely going about their own ways, while others clearly on duty. Most of them wore clothing which blended in well with the sand structures around them, the loose thin fabric protecting them from the worst of the sun. Unlike the muted attire of the people, the stalls lining the street one storey below were brightly decorated with tapestries depicting what he suspected was somewhat embellished tales of Suna's greatness in the past.

Itachi inhaled deeply. The humid air was tinged with a subtle hint of spice, which was generously applied to their cuisine. He had found the food quite to his liking, even though he still preferred the desserts to the main courses.

He wondered if the food suited Sakura's taste buds.

Even if it did not, she would have gotten used to it after the years of residing in this village. His second conversation with Kankurou after his visit to the messenger's tower had yielded information that brought forth mixed feelings within him. But it left him no wiser as to what he should do about this situation with Sakura.

The first thing he needed to do was to confirm was the current state of relationship between Sakura and the Kazekage. It frustrated him that he could not think of a subtle way to probe into the relationship, but the situation was a delicate one. One had to consider the possible ramifications of all the possible routes to minimize potential complications with international relations.

He supposed he could question Sakura directly, but his recent experience had taught him that she was less than forthcoming when it came to personal information. Now that he knew about Ryo, perhaps it would be different. He doubted it. Sakura's distrust of him was clear, and she would most likely continue to keep facts from him. He doubted that he could rely on her for an accurate account of her relationship with the Kazekage. She could simply tell him that they were in a relationship to dissuade him from pursuing her, though he did not understand then why she had not done so before. Perhaps it was out of courtesy to the Kazekage.

Which left him with the option of seeking information from the Suna side. If he was to approach the Kazekage with his queries, his interest in Sakura would definitely be noted. There was a risk that he might displease the Kazekage if there was indeed a personal connection between Gaara and Sakura.

His other option would be to approach Kankurou, although he was not certain how forthcoming the Kazekage's brother would be when it came to such information. His tendency to speak freely about Ryo did not mean that he would do the same when it came to the Kazekage's possible relationship with Sakura.

Itachi suppressed the urge to groan out loud, lamenting the fact that he had yet to come to a decision. It was unusual for him to take so long to strategize but he had learnt that when it came to personal matters, his ability to plan was severely lacking.

A dark speck in the distance against the blue backdrop of the sky caught his attention, distracting him from his thoughts, and his eyes followed it as it came closer. Soon, it took shape in the form of a bird, and comprehension dawned upon Itachi when the bird headed straight for him. He activated his Sharingan and was immediately able to tell that this was not a normal creature. The Hokage must have decided to send a return message this way because it was faster than conventional bird messengers.

Knowing what to expect now, he turned back into the room to look for a certain required item.

When the bird finally approached the window, Itachi met it with a sheet of blank paper. The moment the bird landed, it immediately turned into a splatter of chakra-infused ink which seeped into the white surface of the sheet, forming words as it did so.

Itachi scanned the message carefully, taking in fully the Hokage's instruction before he destroyed the message with a small fire jutsu.

Then he left his room.

It did not take long for him to find a wandering Suna chuunin to show him the way to the Kazekage's office. When he arrived, and gained permission to enter, he found the redhead seated behind a desk, staring at him calmly. The papers on the desk beside the Suna leader's arms were turned face down as a precaution, Itachi noted.

"Kazekage-sama," he greeted politely.

"Is there a problem, Uchiha?"

A prickle of warning nudged at Itachi. There was something odd about the way the Kazekage was regarding him. He felt as if he was being assessed by the Suna nin. It was odd, for the Kazekage exhibited no such behavior when they met yesterday at the hospital. What could have changed since then?

"No." After a brief pause, he asked, "How is Sakura's son?"

"Ryokumori is well. He woke up a few hours ago."

"That's good," he murmured.

Itachi felt relieved for Sakura. Although her son complicated matters, he did not wish the boy any harm.

"Is that all you require, Uchiha?" the Kazekage asked pointedly, his tone containing a hint of impatience.

The displeasure in the redhead's tone was clear, and once again, Itachi had a feeling that something was amiss. Determined to pinpoint what it was, his mind flashed back to the conversations he had taken part in over the past one day. He had only spoken to the Kazekage, Sakura, Kankurou and the chuunin who had shown him here.

The only one that stood out was the last conversation he had with Kankurou. Could it be that the Kazekage had made the connection between him and Sakura? If this was the reason for his displeasure, then did that mean that there was truly something between the Kazekage and Sakura?

This did not bode well for him.

The Kazekage frowned at him. "Uchiha, I don't have all day."

Itachi decided to be direct. "I apologize for my inattention, Kazekage-sama. I have just received a message from the Hokage. Now that her son is out of danger, Sakura needs to return to Konoha."

The Kazekage inclined his head once.

Itachi continued, "However, although her presence is required in Konoha, I doubt she would be able to concentrate on her assigned tasks if her son remains here."

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed slightly. "You want Ryo to return to Konoha with Sakura," he supplied dryly.

Itachi nodded.

Leaning back against his chair, Gaara crossed his arms over his chest as he directed a hard look at him. "You do realize that Ryo is a Suna shinobi, don't you?"

The redhead's wording was so impersonal that it made Itachi wonder if he was truly talking about his own son. For a boy that young to be a genin, Ryo must have proved himself to be an exceptional shinobi. Was that not enough of an additional incentive for the Kazekage to recognize him as his son?

"I'm under the impression that he was due to visit a few weeks ago," Itachi pointed out.

The Kazekage's expression hardened. "He just recovered from an attack. It might not be wise to travel."

"I'm certain Sakura will not allow him to travel unless he is fit to do so," Itachi returned smoothly. "And I will see to it that he is safe."

"What makes you think Konoha can protect him better than we can?"

The Kazekage's words surprised him, but Itachi only responded, "I have extensive experience in handling rogue elements."

A pair of jade eyes regarded him thoughtfully, and then the Kazekage acceded, "I'll consider it."

Itachi reined in his annoyance at the other nin's obvious reluctance. "Understood, Kazekage-sama."

"You may leave now."

Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, Itachi inclined his head and left the room. He was a little aggravated that he had not achieved what he had come here for, but he was also aware that the Kazekage was not someone to be pushed around. He would just have to wait.

000

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000

Ryo was released from the hospital just six hours after he had woken up. She had performed a thorough check on his system and was assured that he was suffering from nothing more serious than his usual restlessness. Honestly, she did not know where he had gotten all that energy from. Perhaps it was from too much exposure to Naruto.

His restlessness was the main reason for their journey to the training grounds this morning, after a good night's sleep. That, and the idea that she and Gaara had discussed last night after Ryo had fallen asleep in his room at the Kazekage's residence.

The training grounds loomed into sight ahead of them. Unlike Konoha's training grounds surrounded by lush green forest and clear lakes, Suna's training grounds were comparatively bleak. There was sand, sand and more sand surrounded by sand covered walls and tall towers of rocky outcrops protruding from the sand. The whole setting had absorbed so much heat from the sun that it appeared to be almost shimmering in the heat.

But Ryo ran towards it like he had never seen anything more appealing in his life.

Rolling her eyes, she watched affectionately as her son sped on ahead of her, dressed in his usual green outfit with the white circular symbol of the Haruno clan stitched at the back. At the moment, the symbol was bisected by a kodachi. The short word, although sheathed, looked positively deadly against the small boy's back, but Sakura knew that Ryo was unusually gifted with the weapon. This particular one was custom made for him, his most recent birthday present from Gaara.

As his short legs, encased in black pants, carried him further away from her, the sunlight glinted off the Suna hitai-ate tied to his left arm, reminding her of the very real and troubling dilemma which had been plaguing her ever since she had returned to active duty in Konoha.

She thought of Konoha and of Suna. Of those people important to her, and those important to Ryo. At some point, she would have to decide for both of them. And as with most mothers, she was most likely to decide in Ryo's favor.

Which meant leaving Konoha.

"Okaa-san!"

Ryo's voice jolted her out of her musings, and she refocused her attention on the redheaded boy. He was standing on top of one of the ten training posts scattered around that particular training ground, his arms crossed over his chest impatiently.

A stance he had obviously copied from Gaara, she thought with bemusement.

Well, at least he was momentarily distracted from the loss of his teammates. He had cried again last night just before he went to sleep, thinking about Mamoru and Rei. It would take time for the pain to ease, unfortunately.

She reached the training ground a moment later and glanced around, taking in the terrain and noting where every obstruction was. It was one she had used before during her residence in Suna, but new things, like the posts, had been introduced since then.

Turning to her son, she grinned. "Come on, Ryo-chan. Let's see how much you've improved."

"Lots, Okaa-san!" he declared with a similar grin, unsheathing his kodachi.

Sakura dragged her gloves on out of habit, although she had no intention of utilizing any chakra in a spar with her own son. Ryo might be viewed as one of the child shinobi prodigies, but he was still her little boy. Besides, this was not supposed to be a serious sparring session, only one to relieve Ryo's boredom and to distract him.

"Ready?" she asked.

His grin disappeared and his chubby face settled into a serious expression, one which had always struck her with an odd pang of familiarity. It was as if he was blanking out everything except the pending battle. That level of focus was unusual for a child, and she certainly had never been that way at that age.

Unfortunately, each time he did it, she was reminded of the man who fathered him.

And then he was gone from her sight in a streak of red and green.

The spar was on.

In the usual stealthy style of ninja battles, Sakura hid in the crevices between the rocks and waited. His eagerness overriding his caution, Ryo soon made an appearance, attacking her with a barrage of shuriken. His aim was a little off, but it was good enough for a genin. His throwing skill obviously needed a bit more work. Knowing Ryo, he had probably been too impatient to keep at the repetitive training required to improve his aim.

Deflecting Ryo's last shuriken with a kunai, she leapt out to engage him in a close-range battle. His kodachi slid out of its sheath with a sharp whine to meet her kunai, clashing with a vibrating clang as they met. The height discrepancy made it difficult to fight him, despite his much lower level of experience. The shinobi in her could see how this would be beneficial in the field.

She had to admit that his blade skills had improved since the last time they sparred. Then again, Ryo had a lot of practice when it came to this particular weapon. Until now, she could still remember how he had 'fought' Kankurou's puppets with a bokken since he was two. Kankurou had commented then that it was fortunate that Ryo was only hitting his puppets with a wooden training sword, or else his puppets would be irreparably damaged.

They kept at it for a while more until she called a halt to their spar, and led them towards the shaded stand at the corner of the training grounds. It was not her intention to tire him out thoroughly, after all. So far, he had hardly used any chakra, which was a good thing because of what she was about to impart to him.

Sitting down on the bench under the shade, she handed him a bottle of water from her pack. In his rush, he had forgotten his own. She made a mental note to remind him not to do that again, especially in a place like Suna. He could get dehydrated easily if he was not careful.

As he gulped down the water, Sakura asked casually, "Remember Naruto-Ojii-san and his Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu?"

Ryo blinked once, and then nodded quickly, his face stretching into a wide smile as he passed her the bottle. "Yeah! He made hundreds at once that time." His eyes positively gleamed with anticipation. "Are you going to teach me? Hatsumoto-sensei said it's too early, but I want to try it. Please?"

And here came the melting puppy dog eyes.

She gave him an indulgent look over the bottle that she was sipping, knowing that she was probably spoiling him and his Hatsumoto-sensei would disapprove if he was awake. But she was doing it for a reason, not just to humor Ryo.

"Okaa-san, please?" he coaxed, tugging at the hem of her loose top.

She tried to look reluctant. "Well, since you asked so nicely-"

He interjected with a boisterous, "YES!", punching the air for effect.

Sakura only shook her head in amusement. He was so enthusiastic that it was hard to believe that he was not related to Naruto and little Minato. When they were together, their antics always made her and Hinata laugh. Goodness knew what they would be like when they were older. She only hoped that Ryo never found out how Naruto had played pranks on Konoha.

Gaara would not take well to Ryo painting a smiley face on the outer dome of his administration building.

"Ne, Okaa-san… Isn't that a Konoha nin?"

Sakura immediately tensed, her earlier humor evaporating as she realized who it was Ryo must have seen. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder, only to see a certain familiar figure in the distance heading their way. Why was he walking towards them? Was he looking for her?

"'Kaa-san?"

She turned back to Ryo, forcing out a smile. "Yes, Ryo-chan?"

"He's wearing a Leaf hitai-ate. He must be a Konoha nin, right?"

Almost sighing, she confirmed, "Yes. He's a Konoha nin."

Ryo look confused. "Oh, I don't remember seeing him around in Konoha."

How much should she tell Ryo? Did she even want Ryo to know anything about Uchiha Itachi? About the massacre, about how he was allowed back in Konoha to become and ANBU Captain? And about what had happened more than six years ago?

Then came the question of how Itachi might interact with Ryo. She did not know whether she wanted them to take to each other, or to be wary of each other on sight. She knew what conclusion Itachi had arrived at when it came to Ryo, and she knew that such a thing would cause some tension since he had been nothing but clear about his own intention to pursue her.

However, before she could form another thought, Uchiha Itachi had joined them under the small shade of the stall. His eyes flicked briefly at Ryo before resting on her.

"Sakura."

"Taichou," she returned warily.

Obviously not willing to be left out, the youngest one in their trio piped up, "And I'm Haruno Ryokumori."

Itachi shifted his gaze back to the boy, studying Ryo so intently that she had to fight the urge to move to stand between them. She refrained from doing so just because Ryo would definitely know that something was wrong. And the last thing she needed was for an over-inquisitive kid to ask her questions.

Question that she probably would not like to answer.

So she stood there silently, her heart thumping hard in her chest as she waited for the events to unfold, fearing that from now on, things could potentially spiral out of control.

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A/N: And that's it for now. Hope you've enjoyed that. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for all your wonderful reviews for the previous chapter. Here's the next instalment… Enjoy!

* * *

**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 10**

Ryo's eyes were wide with curiosity as he stared at Itachi.

Her unease growing by the second, Sakura watched with bated breath as Itachi stared back. She could not help but wonder what the ANBU Captain was thinking. It was hard to tell with the stoic mask he was wearing.

What she knew for sure was that she growing increasingly edgy as he continued to study her son intently. She had to consciously stop herself from fidgeting on the dry sand under her sandaled feet. This little wooden stall that was currently shading them from the heat of the sun seemed far too small suddenly.

The silence dragged on.

Being the affectionate and friendly boy he was, Ryo was generally greeted with at least a smile. So, when the staring match persisted, Sakura was unsurprised to see the gradual replacement of her son's curiosity with suspicion when the Uchiha did not respond in any way. In fact, an irritated scowl was beginning to make its way to his little face.

The temperature around them seemed to plummet, even though she knew that it was probably just her imagination. It was in the middle of the day in a desert, after all.

Deciding that the unnerving silence needed to be broken before Ryo said something he shouldn't, she introduced properly, "Ryo, this is Uchiha Itachi."

His unwavering scowl telling her that he was unimpressed, Ryo asked, "Are you here to see Okaa-san?"

Itachi removed his gaze from Ryo to settle on her, much to her relief. "Aa. I wish to speak to you. Is that possible?"

Not particularly keen on the idea, she gestured to Ryo. "We're in the middle of something here."

"Training?"

"Yes," she replied shortly, a little impatient for him to leave.

The longer he remained there with them, the more nervous she got and eventually, her reaction would tip the ANBU captain off that something was wrong. That was the last thing she needed. Whatever he had to say to her could wait till later, preferably without Ryo in attendance.

Besides, Ryo did not seem overly fond of him at this very moment. And somehow, this made her feel really bad. Despite everything, she did not want Ryo to dislike Itachi. It seemed… wrong.

"I will wait," he told her evenly.

Her heart sank.

"Okaa-san, does he have to watch?" Ryo asked with a touch of petulance in his voice.

"Don't be rude, Ryo-chan," she chastised automatically, even though inwardly, she agreed with her son. This was really an awkward time for Itachi to be here.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Itachi asked, the corner of his lips quirking slightly in what she recognized as amusement.

Her eyes narrowed. He thought this was funny, did he? Well, she did not think so. "Really, it's too much of a bother," she forced out.

"No. I will remain." His eyes darted to the sulking boy. "Is that a problem?" he asked smoothly.

"I don't care," Ryo muttered reluctantly.

Sakura decided that she should have a word with Ryo about being a little more subtle. But then again, he was not even six-years-old yet. Perhaps it was a little too much to expect him understand certain social skills.

Resigned to the fact that Itachi was staying put, she gestured to her son to come closer. "Come, Ryo-chan. Let's go through the technique."

Ryo nodded, but she did not miss the suspicious look he darted at Itachi before focusing his attention on her. "Is it like Bunshin-no-jutsu?" the boy asked.

"Somewhat," she replied. "The Bunshin-no-jutsu you learnt in the Academy creates illusionary clones. So they disintegrate very easily if they're disrupted. This one is a little different. Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu uses chakra to make essentially a copy of the user."

Emerald eyes so much like hers widened in fascination. "So, Naruto-Ojii-san was creating hundreds of copies of himself?"

"Yes."

Sakura watched with twitching lips as her son digested the information. Completely forgetting his dislike of the ANBU captain while his mind whirred with the possibility of mischief, Ryo exclaimed enthusiastically, "So I can do the same as well? Hundreds of clones?"

She chuckled out loud, shaking her head. "No." She blinked thoughtfully. "At least I don't think so." She hoped not. It was the making of nightmares, trying to keep track of hundreds of mischievous Ryo clones.

"If he's able to create one now, he should be able to create a greater number as he grows older."

Itachi's words made both of them spin towards him. She was surprised by his participation, and did not know what to make of it.

"That's true, Okaa-san?" Ryo asked.

"Yes, Ryo-chan."

Ryo's brows furrowed as he stared at Itachi. "How many can you make?"

Sakura almost groaned out loud at the blatant challenge in her son's tone. It seemed that Itachi realized the same thing as well, for he raised an amused brow at her before returning his eyes to the boy.

"About fifteen on average."

"That's not much," Ryo condescended, wrinkling his nose in a show of distaste.

"Ryokumori," Sakura warned. "That's not nice."

The boy flinched slightly, giving her an apologetic look. "But Naruto-"

"Naruto-Ojii-san has a bigger chakra reserve than others. I can only create five shadow clones at the most," she interjected firmly.

Ryo's brows scrunched. "So fifteen is a lot?" He flicked a contemplative look at Itachi. "So you're strong?" he asked curiously.

"He's the ANBU captain in Konoha," Sakura supplied.

Ryo's distrust immediately evaporated, the way only a small child's could at the presence of someone like that. A bright beam stretched across his face as he declared, "I'll be an ANBU by the time I'm fifteen!"

Itachi blinked once, and then raised a questioning brow at her.

Somewhat discomfited by his regard, Sakura explained, "He's trying to outdo Kakashi. So far, Ryo has managed to become a genin around the same time Kakashi graduated from the Academy."

"I'll be a chuunin next year. And then jounin by thirteen. And then I'll beat Kakashi-Ojii-san and be the youngest ANBU graduate ever!" Ryo announced enthusiastically.

Sakura almost winced at his exuberance. Giving the still-silent, and probably overwhelmed Itachi an apologetic look, she said a little sheepishly, "He gets a little carried away sometimes."

To her surprise, Itachi turned his full attention to Ryo and asked seriously, "In comparison with which village?"

Ryo's grin melted away to be replaced by confusion. "Which village?" he echoed.

"You wish to be the youngest compared to the graduates in which village?"

Ryo gave him an incredulous look, like he could not believe Itachi had the nerve to be ignorant of such information. "Konoha, of course. Kakashi-san is the youngest ANBU ever! Suna's youngest ANBU was already eighteen when he graduated."

When Itachi only nodded in agreement, Sakura's eyes rounded. Was Itachi just humoring Ryo or what? He did not strike her as someone who would pander to the whims of a kid. Wait… Now that she thought about it, he had been quite good with Kana back in Spring Country. _Itsuki_ had been quite tolerant of children, as far as she could remember. Kana practically worshipped the ground he walked on. But that was his civilian persona, was it not?

Was _Itachi_ the same?

"So I'll be ANBU by fifteen," Ryo continued.

"You wouldn't be the youngest ANBU graduate, then," Itachi told him sagely.

Ryo's eyes widened in disbelief. "Someone made it into ANBU earlier?"

Knowing exactly what Itachi was getting at, Sakura supplied, "Uchiha-san was thirteen years old when he was made an ANBU squad captain."

She had never seen Ryo's eyes grow so wide. His earlier distrust of Itachi was nonexistent now, killed by the bright light of hero-worship. Almost jumping out of his own skin, her little boy exclaimed, "Wow! That's so cool!"

"Calm down, Ryo-chan."

Admiration practically shining out of his chubby face, Ryo beamed up at the stoic Uchiha. "So, how old were you when you passed the ANBU exams?" he asked, being as guilelessly intrusive as only a child could be.

"Twelve."

"Wow!" Ryo's eyes sparked with determination. "I'll do better!"

Sakura sighed. "Really, Ryo-chan. There's no need to be so competitive."

"But that's what I have to do if I want to be the best?" Ryo defended.

"And who told you that?"

Ryo's brows furrowed. "I cannot remember. Maybe Neji-san."

Sakura almost groaned out loud. Trust Neji to impart such an advice on a young child. Circling Ryo's arm to pull him some distance away from the Uchiha, she said to her son, "I think I need to have a word with you, young man."

Clearly understanding that he was in for a lecture, Ryo groaned, "Okaa-san…"

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Itachi observing them silently. He looked thoughtful. She could not help but wonder what he was thinking. If she had to guess, she would say that he was amused by what he was seeing, but she could not be sure. She also wasn't sure what to make of his presence here.

There was a lot of things she was not sure of these days, it seemed.

000

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000

It was rather… endearing.

There was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched a mildly exasperated Sakura patiently explain to her excitable son that all shinobi developed at different rates, and he should not keep comparing himself to others. And that the search for power was not everything.

To which Ryo replied, "But Naruto-Ojii-san also said that it's good to aim high! He aims to be the Hokage!"

Sakura looked amused. "Ah, so you're aiming to be the Hokage… or the Kazekage, then?"

Ryo blinked as he gave it some serious consideration. "Maybe not yet," he finally said seriously. "Gaara-sama will not have a job if I become the Kazekage."

At that point, Sakura slid a glance at him, and they exchanged amused looks, almost like they were sharing a private joke. It reminded him of their relationship all those years ago. But the moment was over quickly, as if she had realized that she should not be sharing such things with him anymore.

Their gaze broke and she continued her debate with her son, while he watched.

He had not come upon them by accident. He had been searching for them for the past hour, his inability to recognize specific chakra signatures making the usually swift process tedious because he had to manually _look_ for her. It was irksome, but there was nothing much he could do to remedy his situation unless he told Sakura about it. Even so, she might not be able to fix it, seeing that she had inflicted the block on him unconsciously all those years ago.

Besides, that was not why he was here. He came because he wished to gauge her reaction to what he had discovered this morning.

Disguised with a simple henge-no-jutsu, he had been able to glean some information about the relationship between the Kazekage, the boy and Sakura. The unconfirmed information was more like rumors and was by no means vicious, but it was clear that at least a handful of citizens wondered why there were no formal ties between the Kazekage and the boy. Like him, many were of the impression that Ryo was Gaara's son.

He wanted to know Sakura's view on it.

But now, standing facing an exasperated Sakura and a stubborn-looking Ryo, Itachi found himself delaying his own agenda. Instead, he was more interested in seeing how this child performed with such an advanced technique. Perhaps his interest stemmed to his own experiences as a child prodigy in the shinobi arts. Or perhaps he was simply curious.

The moment the debate between Sakura and her son drew to a close, the boy bounded up to him. His mother's chastisement did not seem to affect his exuberance at all.

"So, Uchiha-san. Do you think Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu is a good technique?" the boy asked eagerly.

"It is a useful technique," he confirmed neutrally, his tone not betraying even a hint of his amusement at the fact that Sakura was teaching the boy a technique that could be potentially bring her a lot of anxiety.

"You'll need to use the technique soon, if you can master it in time, of course," Sakura told the child as she joined them.

Itachi wondered why was it necessary for the boy to perform the technique in the first place.

"Of course I can!" Ryo exclaimed, seemingly offended at his mother's words. Then the boy flicked an excited look at him before giving his mother a beseeching look. "Uchiha-san can help me, right?"

Itachi hid his surprise at the boy's request. A few minutes ago, he had been the recipient of the boy's suspicion and distrust, but Ryo had obviously changed his mind since then. Specifically at the point when Ryo had found out about his progress in ANBU. He smiled inwardly at the thought. In some ways, it was nice to know that Ryo was still so capricious. It meant that his childhood was still intact, that his role as a shinobi had not damaged him.

Clearly hesitant, Sakura darted a quick look at him before telling Ryo, "He's probably busy, Ryo-chan."

Itachi's lips quirked when he realized what she was attempting to do. However, he knew that this time, he could leave the persuading to someone else. Namely, a little red-headed boy.

"But he offered to help earlier," Ryo pointed out bluntly.

Sakura grimaced slightly. "I suppose you'd better ask him first."

Ryo immediately bestowed a wide-eyed look on him, one that reminded Itachi strangely of a puppy he had rescued from a dry well on a D-rank mission.

He also remembered how the puppy had promptly gnawed on his hand the moment they were out of the well.

"Can you teach me the jutsu? Please?" Ryo asked sweetly.

Itachi slanted a glance at Sakura, not missing the warning light in her eyes. A chuckle threatened to escape his lips at her transparency.

Without removing his gaze from the boy's mother, he responded, "Aa." He could not really disappoint a small child now, could he? Besides, if he wished to get close to Sakura, he would most likely require Ryo's support in the long run.

The narrowing of Sakura's eyes told him that she knew exactly what he was doing. "Are you certain, Taichou?" she asked tightly.

He smirked this time. "Yes."

"Can we start now?" Ryo asked, his green eyes shining excitedly as he ran backwards out of the shaded area.

"Certainly," he agreed amiably, joining the redhead in the training ground.

As he turned to face the boy fully, Itachi could clearly feel the pressure of Sakura's gaze boring into his back. Amused by her clear hostility, he had to once again suppress the urge to chuckle. No, chuckling would only infuriate her further.

Instead, he began to impart the necessary seals for the jutsu to the eager boy in front of him. He demonstrated them slowly while Ryo concentrated on the motions his hands made. The jutsu was easy enough that he could execute the seals blindfolded, so he kept his eyes on the boy.

It struck him that there was something familiar about the set of Ryo's chin, but he could not quite place it.

Idly, Itachi wondered if this was what it would have been like if he had spent more time with Sasuke when they were kids. He simply had no time then, weighed down with all the expectations others had of him. At times, he regretted the loss of connection between him and Sasuke. There had also been times that he wondered if he had spent more time with Sasuke, his younger brother would turn out differently. Perhaps Sasuke would have been less vulnerable to manipulation if he had the additional support when he was younger.

But this had all happened long ago in the past, so long ago that it was pointless to even think about it.

There was a more recent set of issues for him to resolve now.

Completing the seals for the third time, Itachi instructed, "Attempt the seals first. No chakra just yet."

Ryo nodded, his face scrunched up in determination. A series of quick, clumsily executed seals followed. And then the boy looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Like this?" Ryo asked hopefully.

It was too much to expect perfection on the first try, especially on a B-ranked technique like this from a genin. Ryo had done better than he had expected, but the boy was in too much of a rush.

"It is adequate as a first attempt, but it could be better. The technique is more likely to succeed when your seals are more accurate. The speed can be improved later."

Ryo nodded once. "I understand."

A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Sakura was still in the shade, seated on the bench, watching them wordlessly. Turning his attention back to Ryo, Itachi said, "Continue to practice. After one hundred correctly executed series of seals, you may use your chakra. I will join your mother to observe your progress."

"Yes, Uchiha-san! Thank you for the lesson," Ryo chirped happily as he went back to his technique.

Sakura was clearly uncomfortable, judging by the rigid lines of her body, when he joined her back at the shade where both of them had a clear view of the boy. She said nothing when he sat down beside her, but it was clear that she was not comfortable with his proximity even though he was seated an arm's length away from her.

Not saying a word to each other, they simply watched as the boy practiced diligently.

A hundred times of perfectly executed seals later, Ryo turned in his direction, yelling, "Can I try it with chakra now?"

Itachi nodded his permission, much to the boy's glee.

Perhaps it was now a good time to speak to Sakura. Ryo was far enough that they could have a private conversation, as Itachi doubted that the boy had learnt the skill of chakra-enhanced spying. Besides, Ryo was too busy concentrating on the technique right at that moment.

Yes, this was a good time to speak to Sakura about what he had heard this morning.

"I assume you're aware of the rumors surrounding him," he began without preamble, slanting a sideway glance at her, to find her tensing at his words.

"What rumors?" she returned flatly.

"About the Kazekage shirking his responsibilities," he told her frankly.

She swung towards him, her eyes blazing indignantly. "The Kazekage does not shirk his responsibilities," she defended in a rush. "Where did you hear this nonsense from?"

"I overheard certain conversations in the streets," he fabricated evenly. There was no need to mention that he had encouraged the topic of conversation in that particular direction.

"Well, you should know better than to listen to rumors."

Clearly displeased, she turned back to watch Ryo silently. She did not comment further, but it was clear that this was a sore topic for her.

Her reaction was not encouraging. She was defensive of the Kazekage, which suggested that their bond was still strong. Furthermore, she did not deny that the Kazekage was responsible to a certain extent; she had only insisted that he was not shirking his responsibility.

Did that mean that Sakura and the Kazekage had arrived at some mutual agreement that no one knew about? It could be that they were simply keeping things quiet, avoiding the intrusive interest others would take in the affairs of such high profile personalities.

The fact that Ryo seemed to accept him so far meant nothing if there was still a relationship between Sakura and the Kazekage.

Itachi sighed out loud, weary of all the secrets. Without a moment's hesitation, he asked directly, "Sakura. What is your relationship with the Kazekage?"

She turned sharply towards him, her posture clearly defensive. "That is personal, Taichou."

Her continual use of his title did not escape his notice, and it was beginning to truly grate on his nerves. He also did not miss the taut posture that she had been wearing since he had joined her, and he wished that she could be more relaxed around him.

The tension between was suffocating, and he wondered how they had been able to get along so well in the past. That period of his life seemed almost surreal, now that he thought about it.

Seeing her in such discomfort was displeasing to him, so he averted his eyes to stare at a non-specific point in the horizon.

And then suddenly, very uncharacteristically, he experienced a sinking feeling of despair that all his efforts would lead to nowhere. How much longer was she going resist his attempts to court her?

Leaning against the back of the bench, he raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, too weary of this issue to care that his emotions were displayed openly for all to see.

"Why are you so against _us_, Sakura?" he asked quietly, half to himself.

She sucked in a sharp breath, but that was the only response he received.

In the distance, Ryo let out a whoop of joy when his first, perfectly formed bunshin appeared. Itachi activated his Sharingan, studying the bunshin, noting with approval that the chakra distribution was even and strong. The actual level of chakra was rather low, though, which meant that the bunshin would not last very long.

Still, it was an exceptional achievement for someone so young.

And somehow, to Itachi's own surprise, the despair that he had felt just a moment ago melted away at the boy's accomplishment.

Then both the boy and his shadow clone came running towards him, red hair bouncing wildly around their chubby faces, Itachi allowed a smile to escape. Ryo was clearly excited at his success.

"Did you see that, Uchiha-san? Okaa-san?" Eyes shining brightly, he hollered, "I did it!"

"Indeed," he murmured. "It is well-executed."

Sakura chuckled and went to her son. "Well done, Ryo-chan."

And when Sakura hugged the boy tight, Itachi could not help but wish that he could share some part of their little family.

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Her appetite non-existent, Sakura merely poked at the food in her bowl as the conversation around her rang out.

Dinner had commenced twenty minutes ago, and since then, Ryo had been going on and on about a certain ANBU captain. It despaired her, his sudden shift in hero-worship from Kakashi to Itachi. Really, could Ryo not pick someone else to look up to? Was he really trying to make life more difficult for her?

But there was no denying the bittersweet wrenching of her heart at the sight of the two of them practicing together. It was almost like the final pieces of a puzzle locking together to form a complete picture. It almost like the two of them… belonged.

She stabbed morosely at a lump of rice, breaking it apart.

It was bad enough that she had gotten to see the undisguised effect of her continual rejection of Itachi this afternoon. The man was clearly hurt by her actions, and it was making her feel guilty in turn. Worse still, even though she would not admit it out loud, she knew that she did not hate him, even though she probably should. In fact, she was still horribly attracted to Itachi.

But she was terrified because she was simply so _unsure_ about everything related to him.

She was mostly scared of his past, the immovable obstacle that stood between her and Itachi. There were so many things about him that confused her. Like what she had seen today did not tie up with the monster that she had in her mind. How could Itachi be so gentle and patient with Ryo, and be the same man who massacred his clan and tortured his younger brother? It did not make sense.

"…And I will be an ANBU before twelve! Then I will be youngest ANBU graduate ever!"

Drawn from her gloomy thoughts by Ryo's excitable voice, Sakura rolled her eyes, while Kankurou laughed loudly over his mouthful of food.

"For goodness's sakes! Swallow before you start spewing food all over the table," Temari snapped irritably at her brother. "Don't let Ryokumori pick up all your bad habits."

Swallowing exaggeratedly, Kankurou grinned at his sister before turning to the redheaded boy. "So, sounds like you like the man, huh?"

Ryo nodded vigorously. "Uchiha-san is great!"

Sakura winced inwardly, not entirely comfortable with the way Ryo was practically worshipping the ground the Uchiha walked on, especially in front of another redhead at this table. A quick glance across the dinner table at Gaara confirmed that he was far from pleased. The corners of his lips were tight with irritation. One would never think that the Kazekage was a possessive person, but Sakura had learnt enough about his background over the years to understand where it came from.

Like Naruto, he had been a lonely child, shunned by all that he had known. It had led to aggression and violence, before Naruto dragged him back to sanity twelve years or so ago. That was when Gaara had begun to appreciate and care for the people around him.

When Ryo had joined their little family, Gaara had been a little wary of him. But it had not taken long for him to warm up to the little baby. Perhaps it had been Ryo's helplessness at that age that had ignited Gaara's instincts, but since then, Gaara had been very protective of the boy. It helped that everyone knew that Ryo looked up most to Gaara.

And now, with the emergence of another male on the scene, Gaara might be feeling a little threatened, even though he would probably never admit to such a thing.

"… he was so fast. Like _whoosh_, the seals are all done…"

Deciding to halt her son's stream of admiration, Sakura interjected firmly, "Ryo-chan. Your dinner."

Ryo stilled, blinking in bewilderment at being interrupted.

Kankurou reached over to pat his head. "You want to grow taller, don't you?"

Derailed from his earlier train of thought, Ryo nodded enthusiastically and began to plow through his meal rapidly. Sakura exchanged an amused look with the puppet-master before returning to her own food.

"Ryokumori."

She looked up at the sound of Gaara's voice, to find him watching the little boy.

Ryo swallowed his final mouthful of food with a gulp before answering, "Yes, Gaara-sama?"

"Do you wish to train with me tomorrow?"

Ryo instantly perked up. "Really?"

Sakura raised a brow, surprised by the offer. Gaara was usually busy, something which came with the territory of being the leader of the village, but he had blocked off one day a week to spend with Ryo. And that particular day in the week was definitely not tomorrow.

"Aren't you busy tomorrow?" she asked curiously.

"I can make time," he returned flatly.

And that was how her suspicion was confirmed. Gaara _was_ feeling a little threatened by Itachi's sudden appearance in Ryo's life. She winced inwardly, feeling bad that she had led Itachi here in the first place. The last thing she wanted was to make Gaara feel slighted.

"So, tomorrow at dawn?" Ryo asked, eyes shining in anticipation.

Gaara nodded. "We will practice your wind jutsu."

"Alright, come on now, Ryokumori," Temari called out as she stood up from the table. "Time to bathe."

Ryo's expression fell as he stepped away from the dining table. "Do I have to?"

Temari gave him an uncompromising look. "Yes, you're covered in sand!"

Sakura watched with a grin as her son left reluctantly with the blonde woman, complaining all the way, but there was no real heat in his words. It was a daily ritual for them, after all. Ever since he was a baby, Temari had bathed him. It was their little time together whenever both of them were home. It was like the sort of irregular routine Ryo had with Kankurou with his puppets. The two of them were the best of playmates.

She knew that she owed them a lot.

Tsunade had been there when she discovered that she was pregnant. In fact, her shishou had been the one to spot her symptoms first. Sakura had then told her about the civilian that she had 'broken-up' with, and thankfully, her shishou had not judged her for it. Though Tsunade _did_ threaten to castrate the one responsible for her condition.

Rin, of course, knew about her relationship with the civilian Itsuki. In fact, shortly after the pregnancy was confirmed, Rin had disappeared for a week, only to return with the news that she could not find him. Sakura recalled that she had felt angry at Rin's meddling, saddened at the fact that _Itsuki_ was gone, and relieved that no one knew who actually fathered the bump.

Since then, Rin had not spoken to her about it, even after Itachi's return to Konoha. Surely she had connected the dots between them, even though nothing was confirmed. Still, Sakura could not help but wonder if Rin had spoken to anyone about it. However, no one mentioned anything to her so far, so it was doubtful that Rin had done so.

Sakura thought back to the past. A few months after their arrival in Suna, her shishou, Rin and Shizune had left the village to commence the attacks on Danzou, and that was when Sakura had found herself facing the reality of a little baby on the way.

She had been terrified. Her knowledge of such things had been non-existent, after all, and she had had no immediate plans of having a family in the near future. If it had not been for the Sand sibling's support, she would not have made it.

A loud scraping sound rang out, interrupting her thoughts. She looked up to find Kankurou waving over his shoulder at them. "Going to work on the puppets," he muttered as he left the dining room.

Left alone with the Kazekage, she stared across the table at Gaara. He was returning her stare with one of his own indecipherable ones. Was he expecting something from her?

Deciding to inform Gaara of what she had learnt from Itachi today, she ventured, "You know what everyone's _still_ saying?"

"What?"

"Your people are still talking about Ryo's connection to you."

"I am aware of it," Gaara replied, completely unconcerned.

"I know we've talked about this before. Why aren't you bothered by what they are saying?"

"Why should I?" he asked, standing up from the table. "They are merely speculating."

"Until now, some are saying _still_ that you're not taking any responsibility for your actions." She frowned. "I don't like it."

"I've been branded worse."

"But it's not fair on you!" she cried out in exasperation.

"You worry too much." He turned towards the balcony at the end of the dining room. "It is not necessary."

"But-"

"Uchiha Itachi requires you to return to Konoha."

She immediately bristled, even though she and Gaara had discussed that very thing a couple of days ago. "What? He went to ask you?" Without even saying a word to her earlier today?

Gaara nodded, but there was something else in his expression that raised her suspicions. He looked somewhat put-out, perhaps a little disapproving as he looked at her. What was he thinking to put that look on his face? Was it because she had allowed Ryo to train with the Uchiha? Or was it something else?

"There's more to this, isn't it?" she prodded. "What is it?"

He stared at her for a moment longer. And then he stood up to walk out to the balcony, motioning for her to follow him. He halted at the balustrades, staring out into the night sky thoughtfully. It was much cooler out here, she thought as she stopped beside him.

"Gaara?" she prompted.

He turned, bringing their faces close together, obviously conscious that others might read his lips. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips when he asked very quietly, "What is your relationship with Uchiha Itachi?"

She froze at the unexpected question. Surely he did not suspect?

Or maybe he did.

She frowned thoughtfully. Maybe she shouldn't be too surprised. The Sand siblings, Tsunade and Rin were the only ones who knew most about her relationship with a 'civilian' all those years ago, after all. Somehow, Gaara must have realized the truth after seeing Itachi.

But to be certain, she asked just as quietly, mindful that there might be other people nearby, "What do you mean?"

Gaara gave her an irritated look. "Don't pretend you don't know what I meant."

She sighed out loud, dragging her fingers through her hair. Right. So, Gaara had figured it out. "How?" she asked.

"Uchiha Itachi was in Spring Country when you were there."

Surprised, she asked, "He told you?"

"He did not deny it when Kankurou asked."

Anger sparked immediately when she understood what they had done, and how Itachi might have interpreted it. Taking a step back, she hissed furiously, "You _questioned_ him?"

Unperturbed, Gaara responded mildly, "It came up in the conversation." He turned away to frown into the distance. "Apparently."

"Kankurou," she growled in realization. "He's being nosy again."

He slid an annoyed look at her. "You still haven't answered my question."

"You already know," she shot back. Noting his uncompromising expression, she huffed, "Fine! It's him, alright."

"Hm."

And he turned away again.

That was it? He was not planning on lecturing her or anything like that? She found it a little hard to accept his reaction. Despite the fact that he was not the chattiest of persons, Gaara had no qualms about speaking his mind when the mood struck him. And when it came to things that could affect Ryo, Gaara usually had a lot of input.

"Gaara?" she called out softly, reaching out to place a hand on his back.

At her touch, he turned to face her again. She could not tell what he was thinking exactly, because he was deliberately masking his expressions. However, having lived under the same roof with him for years, she had learnt to read the underlying emotions behind the mask and it told her that he was concerned about something.

"Hey, is something wrong?" she asked.

He exhaled out loud, before answering flatly, "He requested for Ryokumori to return to Konoha with you."

"W-What?" She blinked once before the meaning of Gaara's words sank in. "You mean Uchiha Itachi wants Ryo to go back with me?"

Gaara nodded curtly.

What the hell was Itachi thinking, asking the Kazekage for something like that? He should not have interfered, whatever his motives were for doing this.

Sakura bit her lips, feeling a little torn. On one hand, it would be great to have Ryo with her in Konoha, and she was sure that the rest in Konoha would love to see him as well. But with her ANBU stuff, she might not be able to keep an eye on Ryo, and with the current situation, Ryo probably need more protection than before. Gaara would be able to provide this extra level of security for Ryo in Suna, though she supposed she could talk Kakashi into sparing some shinobi for the task in Konoha.

On the other hand, she knew that it would be difficult for Gaara to allow Ryo to leave after what had just happened during the mission. And now, with this latest revelation, she would understand if Gaara was reluctant to release Ryo. Ryo was practically his son.

Finally, she said resignedly, "It's up to you."

His mask crumpled slightly, and she caught a glimpse of a weary acceptance behind it before he recomposed himself. Whatever it was, she knew that he would do the right thing. She had seen with her own eyes how he would consider all the variables before making a decision that would be most beneficial for all. That was how he operated.

She smiled slightly when he reached up to place a hand on her shoulder.

"I will allow it."

She released a long breath. "You sure?"

He nodded.

"But-"

His stern look stilled her tongue. "I will allow you to bring him back to Konoha. Look after him well."

She gave him a mock glare. "I'm his mother! Of course I will."

Gaara gave her a dry look, and she blinked in realization when she recalled what she had been told about his past. Kankurou had been too young to remember, but Temari was been almost four when it had happened. So the blonde had been the one to tell her about it.

Until now, the story never failed to make her cringe at the harsh reality of the shinobi nations. Everything was enshrouded in violence and blood, a battle for supremacy, regardless of one's humanity. There were many victims in this clash for power, and the Sand siblings' mother was one of them.

Karura had been an unwilling victim who had been taken in the time of war, together with her little brother, Yashamaru. Her main downfall was her stunning appearance, which had caught the late Kazekage's eyes during a raid on one of Fire Country's villages. She was only a relative of a minor shinobi clan, not a shinobi herself, but there was no escaping the widespread shinobi war.

Temari had told the story to her in a brusque manner, but Sakura knew that it had scarred her to some point. It was a horrible thing to hear how Karura had been forced to be with the late Kazekage at the young age of fifteen, and subsequently bore Temari, Kankurou and Gaara in quick succession. Apparently, it was no secret that Karura had hated Suna with a passion, which was understandable considering how she had came to being there. Sakura suspected that she had kept herself alive and suffered through the hatred to keep her younger brother, Yashamaru, safe from the Kazekage. Sadly, her life had ended when Gaara was born, during the sacrificial ritual of sealing the Shukaku within her newborn.

Once, Sakura had asked Gaara why he allowed her to stay in Suna when she was clearly being hunted, risking Danzou's wrath. He had told her that she was different. She had no idea what he had meant until Temari explained Karura's background to her.

The minor shinobi clan Karura had descended from was the very same clan her father had hailed from. No one knew, until almost eight years ago, when she had been posted in Suna. That was when the Suna authorities had run a check on her background, for formality's sakes since they already knew her quite well, and unearthed the confidential information for Gaara to peruse.

And Gaara, being Gaara, had not thought that it was necessary to tell her that they were related at all.

It was weird sometime, the thought that Gaara was her distant cousin, but sometimes, she could see the resemblance between Gaara and her own father. The hair definitely matched, but Gaara's eyes were lighter.

"Sakura," he called out, breaking her out of her contemplations.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Sometimes, titles like… mother, father… and so on, do not mean much. It is what the person does that matters," he murmured, almost to himself.

Was he thinking about his father?

Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around him in a light, reassuring hug. He no longer tensed like he had done in the early days when she displayed any form of physical affection towards him. And she had felt the need to do it, especially after hearing the horrors of his childhood.

"Hey, don't think about these stuff too much, okay?" she murmured, her words muffled against his clothes. "It all happened a long time ago."

He only grunted in response.

She pulled back, stepping away from him. "So, I'll let the Uchiha know that we can return to Konoha."

"Aa. You're clear on the plan?"

She nodded confidently. "Yeah. We'll plant the Shinjutama on Ryo's bunshin. If the Shinjutama is really acting like some sort of tracking device, they will surely take the bait."

Gaara flicked a glance down at her, then turned back to stare out into the night. Clearly, there was something else on his mind, because he did not seem at all interested in discussing their plans further.

A little exasperated now, she asked, "Gaara, is something else bothering you?"

A pair of green eyes, slightly lighter shade than hers, landed on her face. "Yes."

"What?"

"Uchiha Itachi appears to be pursuing you."

Her eyes widened. Was it that obvious?

Without waiting for her to answer, Gaara looked away and continued brusquely, "Just… be mindful of what you do. You have your son to consider now."

She sighed heavily. That was exactly the crux of the problem, wasn't it? "Don't worry, Gaara. I'll always put Ryo first."

They fell into a bout of silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Their conversation drew her attention back to the rapid development between Ryo and Itachi. She had not expected Ryo to take to the man so fast, and for Itachi to tolerate Ryo. No, she corrected, Itachi _more_ than tolerated Ryo, something which both worried her and tugged at her heartstrings.

"Sakura."

She glanced sideways at Gaara. "Yeah?"

"Will you return to him?" he asked mildly, clenching his hands lightly against the balcony railing.

Despite his seemingly indifferent tone, she knew that Gaara was concerned. There was no need to lie to him, and in many ways, it was a relief to be able to come clean with someone. She had kept the secret for so long, all on her own.

"Honestly, I'm a little… afraid."

He slid an irritated look at her. "I seem to recall having a similar conversation with you in the past."

She knew exactly which conversation he was talking about, years ago when she had been uncertain what to do after Itachi, whom she had known as Itsuki then, had kissed her for the first time. Her response then had been to run all the way from Spring Country to Suna, seeking refuge from her tumultuous and confused emotions there.

"You told me not to be silly," she muttered uncomfortably, guessing that a similar sort of advice was pending. "Very unkindly."

"And what else?" he prompted.

"And that my life is my own and I should take control of it." She sighed dejectedly. "It's not like I don't want to. But this is different."

He slid an irritated look at her. "Perhaps you're overcomplicating matters. Ryo should be allowed the opportunity to know his true father."

"I know," she admitted in a small voice, feeling guilty at the reminder of her deception.

"Perhaps you should allow the Uchiha to prove himself if he wishes to do so," he advised.

"I really don't know." She raked a hand through her hair in frustration. Deciding to be completely honest, she continued, "It's his background. It's the Uchiha clan… and the massacre. He seems to have something against those of his bloodline. Why would he kill them otherwise? I don't know if…" She took a deep breath before continuing, "I don't know what he will think if he knew the truth about Ryo."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly, as if in surprise.

She frowned, confused, wondering what she had just said that was so shocking. "What?" she asked warily.

He recomposed himself and looked away. "Something unexpected."

"What is?" she prodded.

"It's not my place to say," he told her in a clipped tone. "Do not press the issue."

Her lips clamped shut, even though his words grated at her. He obviously knew something that he was not telling her. And she suspected that it had something to do with Itachi. Another secret that she was not privy to.

Talking about secrets, Itachi owed her one, before Shinozuka Aoi had interrupted their conversation. She wondered if she could push him to reveal it on their way back to Konoha. Perhaps not, since Ryo would be there. It might be a topic unsuitable for his young ears.

"It's late." Gaara stepped away from the balcony. "I will retire to bed now."

She considered pressing him for the information, but the uncompromising look on his face told her that he was anticipating this move, and would not budge.

With a huff of exasperation, she muttered, "Fine, then. Goodnight, Gaara."

He inclined his head, and left her alone on the balcony.

Leaving her to wonder if he was right, and that she should really give Itachi a chance. Deep inside, she knew that she really wanted to. The chemistry between them was still there, after all, and she felt just as much for him as she had done so many years ago.

But what about Ryo? Would Itachi think differently of Ryo once he knew that the boy was his son? Perhaps he would be happy? She doubted that she would have any problem when it came to Ryo accepting Itachi. Aside from the initial suspicion, Ryo had nothing but admiration for Itachi, the ANBU captain. But what would he think of Itachi as a father?

With a heartfelt groan, Sakura slumped forward, allowing her forehead to land on the balcony railing.

000

* * *

000

Itachi stifled a yawn as he dressed almost mechanically in his usual ANBU attire.

The night had been a sleepless one.

With all those years living as a missing nin, Itachi knew that he should be well-prepared to cope with the lack of rest. However, unlike those sleepless nights of his past, when he had stayed awake as a result of threats from countless enemies, or had simply been thinking about his plans and strategies, last night, he had been kept awake by the actions of a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

It had happened shortly after dinner. He had been thinking about their situation and the next steps to unveil the truth behind Sakura and the Kazekage's relationship when he had moved to his favored thinking area in the room, the window.

Standing there, he had stared out thoughtfully. It was past midnight, and the bright light shining from a certain balcony in the distance had stood out clear against the darkness enveloping the village. The moment he realized that the light came from the direction of the Kazekage's residences, he had activated his Sharingan.

Only to be greeted by the sight of Sakura and the Kazekage embracing intimately.

All so suddenly, his question had been answered in the most unpleasant manner. Their embrace had been nothing but intimate, and the Kazekage had not pulled away from it. Their postures had clearly announced their closeness and comfort with each other's physical proximity. Someone like the Kazekage would not allow such physical contact unless one was a close relative or a lover.

The discovery of this truth was a bitter pill to swallow.

Even with all his musings, a large part of him had always hoped that this was not the case. Nothing could be worse than this, because he was not selfish enough to initiate an international incident over his feelings for another person. Many innocents would be caught in the crossfire. That was not something he needed on his conscience.

Glancing out of the window this morning, he noted that the sun was already up and the sounds of vendors selling their wares began to filter through. It sounded like a normal day.

_Normal_ was far from what he was feeling, unfortunately. He felt restless, irritated and despondent, a sorry state to be in.

Perhaps he should leave the room, to distract himself with some activity.

It was then that he recalled the words he had exchanged with a certain redheaded child yesterday. Ryo had invited him to train this morning.

Although Itachi wanted to continue interacting with the precocious child, the notion of facing Sakura today made him hesitate. He wondered if he should make his excuses, instead of joining them as he had implied he might yesterday. But when the image of a disappointed redheaded boy flashed across his mind, Itachi found himself relenting. Also, he kept being reminded by how disappointed Sasuke used to look when he could not find time to spend with his younger brother.

Somehow, the idea of disappointing Ryo was not appealing at all.

With a resigned sigh, he strode out of the room and exited the building. This close, the sounds of the vendors were almost deafening, something which irritated him unreasonably. A quick glance at the height of the sun told him that he was already late for Ryo's training session, a fact which made him speed up his steps, cutting through the streets to head towards the direction of the training grounds.

The heat beat down on him mercilessly as he broke out of the center of the village into the open training area. Here, the vast expanses of sand and rock seemed to be radiating a most uncomfortable amount of heat, something which bothered him more than it usually did. It did not help that the hot, gritty sand was inching its way into his sandals with each step he took.

In fact, many things seemed to be irksome today.

Soon, he arrived at the designated training ground. Both mother and son were already there, practicing on creating shadow clones. Although Sakura was not facing him, the slight tensing of her shoulders told him that she was aware of his arrival.

Ryo turned in his direction then, greeting him with excited eyes and a wide smile, which strangely enough, reminded Itachi of Sasuke.

"Uchiha-san! You came!"

Despite his discontentment in regards to the boy's parents, Itachi could not help but smile back at the beaming redhead. The boy abandoned his practice momentarily, bounding energetically towards him, skidding to a stop to leave a trail of dust behind him.

When Itachi took in the boy's excited stance, he felt his chest tighten in longing. Perhaps he could have had this with Sakura, if only he had revealed the truth when his memory returned. However, it was too late for regrets now.

Now, he would do the right thing, at a cost to himself.

As usual.

000

* * *

000

Itachi was different today.

She did not know what it was, but something had changed. Maybe it was in the way he seemed more reserved with her, unlike yesterday, when they had spent a surprisingly enjoyable time together on the training grounds. He had been open and approachable then, like the man she had known all those years ago.

Not that he was ignoring Ryo or anything like that today. In fact, at the moment, Itachi was attentively helping Ryo perfect his Kage-Bunshin-no-Jutsu. The boy clearly responded well to Itachi's instructions, because with each shadow clone was clearly more stable than the one before.

Seated under the shade, she sighed heavily. She felt almost… surplus… to this scene. After holding Itachi's interest for so long, the absence of it felt odd. Almost as if she was missing something.

She bit her lips worriedly. Surely she did not crave his attention. How had she become so dependent something like that in such a short time? It made no sense.

No, it made sense, because her feelings for him in all these years had not diminished at all. Perhaps it had shifted, but deep inside, her heart was still attached to him. Over the years, she had suppressed it, and without his presence, it had not been too bad. But now that he was here, her feelings were surfacing rapidly.

Her conversation with Gaara last night filtered through her mind, muddying her thoughts further. Gaara had all but told her that she should give Itachi a chance. She knew that he had done so for Ryo's sake, despite the fact that he would see Ryo less if she got back together with Itachi.

However, the largest hurdle she faced was her uncertainty when it came to Itachi's reaction to Ryo. She could tell him the truth about Ryo's parentage, but she was not willing to take the risk. What if he, for some crazy reason, decided to eliminate Ryo the way he had eliminated the whole of the Uchiha clan? What if he pushed and taunted Ryo, the way he had done with Sasuke? Such a thing would break her son, she knew it.

She could not bear to even think about the possibility of such a terrifying thing.

Inhaling deeply, she allowed her shoulders to sag wearily. So what should she do now?

She stared at Itachi's back, forcing herself to ignore the clearly displayed shape of his toned body visible under the tight sleeveless ANBU vest. He was standing some distance away in the middle of the training ground, testing the strength of one of the clones under a light hand to hand combat. Ryo's clone was strong enough to withstand a couple of direct hits by now, which was a great accomplishment, as far as she was concerned.

Ryo was ready.

She should tell Itachi what Gaara had said last night. It was probably time to send out the clones and head back to Konoha.

She waited until Ryo and his shadow clone had taken off to run along the perimeter of the ground, presumably to test the clone's stamina, before making her move. Sucking in a fortifying breath, she stood up and walked towards Itachi. He did not react in any way to her presence, but he obviously could not miss her standing right next to him. Which could only mean that he was deliberately ignoring her.

She realized with no small amount of mortification that she did not like it.

Shaking away her displeasure, she decided to cut right to the chase. "The Kazekage approved your request to allow Ryo home with us."

He tensed slightly, and then slanted a pair of black eyes at her. "Good."

She waited for him to say something else, but he had turned his attention back to Ryo and his clone, who had reached the far end of the training ground. Now she was certain that something was definitely wrong. He had never been so… cold… towards her. After his constant attention over the past few weeks, this change in his attitude made her feel a little lost.

Taking another deep breath, she plodded on, "So, we can leave later today if you want."

His eyes displayed no emotion when they landed on her. "This afternoon then."

Thinking of the plan with the shadow clones, she ventured, "If you don't mind, can we leave in the evening?"

Something flickered in the depth of his eyes. "Why the delay?" he asked mildly.

"Ryo needs to rest to replenish his chakra first. He's probably quite low by now, with all the training." At his questioning look, she continued haltingly, uncertain how he would take the next bit of news. "There's… um… something else you should know." A short pause followed before she continued, "I found a Shinjutama fragment in him. Someone planted it into his arm."

Itachi's eyes narrowed immediately. "It occurred during the ambush?"

She nodded, unsurprised that he had caught on so fast. "There's some foreign chakra in it, so I'm guessing it's being used as a tracking device."

"You mean to plant the fragment into the boy's clone to lure his attackers out," Itachi surmised. "If it is used as a tracking device in the first place."

"Yes," she confirmed.

Itachi contemplated silently for a moment, and then he spoke. "Do you have a suspect in mind?"

"Of Ryo's attackers?"

"Aa."

She grimaced. "From Ryo's description, they are the same one who attacked me and Sai's squad two weeks ago. The black strip of fabric across the face is not something Gaara or Kakashi had encountered before, though."

Itachi's expression turned speculative. "Perhaps a new organization, then."

"Yeah," she agreed worriedly.

She wondered if Itachi had arrived at the same conclusions as she did. He definitely knew enough of her background to do so. The involvement of the Shinjutama clearly pointed to someone with connections with Spring Country. Also, the fact that she and Ryo were targeted made her suspect that whoever their attackers were, they were after more Shinjutama, and was planning to either use her or Ryo to get them.

"It is likely that they are seeking those of the Shinju bloodline," Itachi murmured, confirming her thoughts.

"Looks like it," she agreed with a sigh. "But I'm still hoping that it's not that."

"Hm."

Itachi's gaze remained on her for a while longer before shifting to Ryo without another word, leaving her to blink slowly at him.

It was a dismissal, clear and loud.

She averted her eyes from him to join him in watching Ryo once more. Although her eyes were tracking her son's movements, her mind was on the man standing beside her. The man who was confusing the hell out of her by his latest behavior, because it was beginning to seem like he was no longer interested in pursuing a relationship with her.

How ironic it would be if he had really decided to do so just as she was beginning to consider giving the whole thing between them a chance. Perhaps it was simply not meant to be. Perhaps they were fated to be apart.

Feeling the need to fill the silence, she spoke, "Looks like he has gotten the hang of it."

"Aa."

When he said nothing more, she sighed inwardly.

Still, she was just speculating. And she knew from her own first-hand experiences what speculations could lead to. She needed to confirm that he was truly dropping his chase. Later, when they began to travel, she would ask him directly, no matter how embarrassing it would be. It was something she needed to do.

For the sake of closure, she insisted to herself.

000

* * *

000

It was evening, and the sun was just setting, coloring the horizon with a reddish tint. The heat eased a little with the departure of the sun, but it was still too hot for him.

The temperature did not seem to bother the redheaded boy, who appeared to be still full of energy even though he had just created an almost-perfect shadow clone a minute ago. Ryo faced the clone, making faces at 'himself' while Sakura slipped the Shinjutama fragment into the clone's pocket with hushed instructions.

Feeling rather superfluous to the entire exchange, Itachi simply stood aside watching mother and son interact. Once again, his chest twisted with the emotion he now identified as the yearning to join them. And once again, he pushed it to the back of his mind. It was pointless to pine after something that did not belong to him.

The clone nodded at Sakura's instructions, and then Sakura created a clone of herself. Without further ado, the two clones dashed off in the course of the most direct route to Konoha. It meant that the rest of them would have to travel the long route, something which would have pleased him a few days ago, but not now.

Itachi kept his eyes on the diminishing figures of the clones as Sakura and Ryo approached him.

"Let's go, Uchiha-san!" the boy cried out.

He turned to the boy, smiling slightly at the unrestrained excitement in those green eyes. Ryo seemed to be always excited, always full of life and smiles. "Do you know the route?" he asked.

"Of course!" Ryo pouted slightly. "Okaa-san and I have travelled to Konoha this way a few times."

"Then perhaps you will lead us," Itachi suggested.

"Alright!"

And he was off in a streak of red and green.

Itachi followed him, travelling with swift, steady steps across the sand with Sakura moving alongside. It was better travelling at this time of the evening, for it was cooler, and they could comfortably move faster.

After approximately six hours of unbroken travel, they entered the sparse forest that marked the border between Fire Country and Wind Country. Only then did he glance at her. Sakura's face was bathed in the moonlight, making her look strangely ethereal and tinting her hair silver. She had been oddly silent and pensive this morning, something he surmised had stemmed from his withdrawal earlier.

Sensing his regard, she flickered a glance at him. He recognized the look on her face. The small furrow between her brows and the way she occasionally chewed on her bottom lip were not unfamiliar to him. The questions would come, and soon.

As if she had read his mind, she ventured tentatively, "Taichou?"

Still so formal, he mused inwardly. "Yes?"

"Is everything okay?"

He wondered if he should make this easier for her. There was no benefit in drawing this conversation out. Such a thing would only cause him more distress. Still, she needed to actually acknowledge the issue. She had to _ask_ him the questions.

"You need to be more specific," he told her, his steps slowing to a complete halt when he reached an open clearing. "We will rest here tonight."

Sakura stopped as well, turning in the direction of her son some distance ahead. It was so dark that only an outline of his body was visible and he was disappearing fast.

"Ryo!"

The boy stopped, and then with obvious reluctance, began to move very slowly back towards them. Itachi felt Sakura's stare even before he turned to face her wordlessly, directing an enquiring brow at her.

"You wish to say something?" he asked.

The flickering uncertainty in her eyes was clear even in the darkness of the forest. But a moment later, she straightened with determination. He could also see that she was preparing for the worst, from the set of her chin.

"I want to know why you're so… distant." She took a deep breath. "I mean, ever since you came back to Konoha, you've done nothing but… try to get close to me. But something changed this morning."

He simply nodded, confirming her words, trying to ignore the shadow of hurt dancing across her features. Her attitude confused him. She could not possibly wish for his attention when she was bonded to the Kazekage now, could she?

"Just tell me what's going on, alright?" she demanded impatiently.

He closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them to regard her calmly. "You wish to keep our interactions… professional, do you not?"

"Yes," she replied slowly.

"I'm merely doing as you wish."

Suspicion flashed across her features briefly. "Why the sudden turnabout?"

Itachi kept his expression impassive as he answered simply, vaguely, "It is time to move on."

And with that, he turned away from her, preparing to set up camp for the night, just as Ryo entered the clearing where they stood.

Because he knew that if he watched her, he would see the pain his words had brought to her. Sakura might not admit it, but her responses to him clearly proved that she still felt something for him. He could capitalize on that, but to do so would be to tear Sakura apart. Sakura would then have to choose between her son's father and him. She needed to choose between Suna and Konoha.

If she chose him, it meant that Ryo would be torn between two countries for good, separated from his own father. Furthermore, the decision would affect many innocent parties in the political backlash. If she chose the Kazekage, then all he would achieve while pursuing her was to set himself up for more pain and dejection.

With those reasons hanging over him, the only sensible thing to do was to let go.

000

* * *

000

A/N: Here's to hoping that you readers are not too mad at me… or Sakura… or Itachi…(winces). Anyway, review if you can, as always. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. Ah, I know the situation is a little frustrating, but I think you know by now that such things are the norm in my stories, right? Hehe! Anyway, let us move on to the next chapter. Again, it is a long one.

* * *

**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 11**

Kakashi tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the surface of his desk, for once, his eyes not straying to a certain part of Rin's anatomy. The information she had been 'encouraged' to reveal to him several days ago was not really surprising, since he had his own suspicions all along. One only needed all the pieces of information laid out in front of him to arrive at the correct conclusion.

But she had run off before he could question her further. The woman had the nerve to disappear for days, ignoring all his summons, as if she felt guilty that she had spilled the information in the first place. It was only when he had sent the dog pack out to sniff her out that he had managed to unearth her from the pits of the hospital.

He had missed her presence those days, and not only because of this Sakura-Itachi business. It had become sort of like a routine for her to turn up at his office for one minor thing or another, and he had always savored those intervals. It was awful since she had gone into hiding, almost like he had lost a very crucial limb.

He was not stupid enough to ignore what something like that meant. But he had to admit that it had not come as too much of a surprise at all. There had always been something between them, but it had not been given the chance to flourish in the past. Perhaps it was time to do something about it.

He just had to find the right opening to broach the topic.

"So, why am I here?" Rin asked tersely.

Kakashi raised his eye to her, not missing her edginess. Clearly, Rin felt as if she had betrayed Sakura by divulging this information to him a few days ago. He had not had the chance to do so then, but he wanted to assure her that she had not done anything wrong. Before that, however, there was something he needed to address first.

"You ran out on me."

"I was busy," she defended. "No time for chats."

"Even with the Hokage?"

"Don't you have more important things to do than to chat with every random kunoichi?" she shot back.

Rin was hardly a _random_ kunoichi. "You're prettier than the random kunoichi," he told her with an eye crinkle.

Her cheeks immediately reddened. He had caught her off-guard, he knew. And she was so adorable when she blushed. But this was not the time for flirtations. There was a more serious matter at hand.

Sobering up, he asked, "Why keep such an information from me?"

Rin scowled, clearly understanding what he was asking. Huffing, she averted her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

And instantly drew his attention to said chest.

"Kakashi!"

Guiltily, his eyes snapped back up to her face. Caught in the act. How embarrassing. And he was doing so well today resisting temptation in the face of such a delectable attraction. Ah, well.

In the attempt to divert her attention from his misconduct, Kakashi raised a brow and prompted, "So, why?"

She exhaled loudly. "It's none of anyone's business, alright. And besides, I'm not a hundred percent sure, even now. It could be all coincidental, for all I know." Frowning darkly, she continued, "And I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Until you tricked me, that is."

"Ah, I wouldn't call it tricking," he defended mildly, not offended at all. "More like… um… leading you in the right direction."

She glared at him. "I should have known that you were up to something when you asked about the men in that village in Spring Country."

"I'm just concerned about you. Who knows what sort of riff-raff you've been-"

"Oh, save it, Kakashi!" she interjected irritably.

He sighed exaggeratedly. "So dismissive of my concern."

Rin frowned. "Look, when I casually brought him up in a conversation with Sakura right after I saw him back in Konoha, she didn't seem eager to talk about him. So I'm guessing that things didn't end well with them."

"Understatement," he muttered, recalling the level of anger Sakura had displayed when she realized who had been assigned as their new captain.

Her jaw ticked irritably. "So, now that you know that Sakura used to see Itachi back then, what are you going to do about it?"

"I need to consider Ryo."

"Don't drag the boy into this, Kakashi," she warned.

Kakashi exhaled loudly. "As the Hokage, I have to. Ryo's age points to his conception before Gaara took all of you into Suna. So he could very well have Uchiha blood running in him."

"Speculations," Rin pointed out primly.

"That may be the case, but if it's true, it technically means that he belongs in Konoha, not Suna."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, knowing that the Kazekage would not like the idea at all. Gaara and Ryo were family, which complicated matters. But alliance or not, Kakashi knew that he could not just allow Ryo to settle in Suna if he possessed the Sharingan. If what he suspected was true, then Ryo would be the first Sharingan possessor in the next generation. Still, Kakashi had no doubt if he explained all this to Sakura, she would look at him like he was the biggest monster of all, thinking of Ryo in terms of shinobi assets.

Hell, at times like this, he hated this job.

Rin's voice was subdued and worried when she asked, "So what now?"

"I ordered the Uchiha to bring both of them back here."

Rin's eyes widened. "You told him?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. We need to confirm the facts with Sakura first. Can't go spilling secrets we don't know, now, can we?"

Rin nodded. "I guess."

Both of them fell into a thoughtful silence.

If Itachi had obeyed his instructions as Kakashi assumed he would, the three of them should be back in Konoha soon. He did not look forward to the conversation he needed to have with them. Itachi would avoid his questions expertly, he knew, and Sakura would simply refuse to answer point-blank unless he made it an official order. He had a feeling that he might have to do that, and it would definitely upset her.

Kakashi slumped forward to his desk, feeling rather dejected suddenly. Why him? Perhaps Naruto would like to take over from him right at this moment. He had had about enough of this entire Hokage business.

"Kakashi? You okay?" Rin asked worriedly.

Needing to lighten the mood, he returned with a smile, "Depends on if you've forgiven me."

Confusion flashed across her face for a brief moment, and then she scowled when she realized what he had meant. "No. Not if you're planning on tricking me like that again."

He widened his eyes, hoping that he was doing justice to the world's collection of puppy-dog eyes. "So, never?" he asked plaintively.

She blinked, her bottom lip wavering slightly.

And then she burst out in chuckles.

"Okay, fine. But only if you buy me dinner." She held a finger up before he could agree, and stipulated firmly, "In a proper restaurant. Not some stall by the riverside, you cheapskate."

Kakashi sat up straighter. He could not believe his luck. Could it be really this easy? She probably did not realize what her words had sounded like. But they had tiptoed around each other ever since she had returned to Konoha, neither willing to make a move.

So perhaps this was the sign that it was time to nudge things forward?

Casually, he ventured, "So, it's a real _date _then?"

Her chuckles immediately ceased and Rin tensed, staring at him wide-eyed. "Date?" she echoed, her voice slightly shaky.

He kept his eyes on her steadily. "Yes, a date."

She stared back at him, her lips slightly parted in surprise as her cheeks reddened gradually. After a few nail-biting minutes, she finally smiled softly at him.

"Okay, Kakashi. It's a date."

000

* * *

000

Sakura sat on a dry log at the edge of a cliff at the border between Fire Country and Wind Country, staring unseeingly at the rays of sunlight reaching upwards in the horizon. She had been on guard duty for the past few hours, and over those hours, thoughts after thoughts had been running through her mind.

In the forefront of her list of contemplations was Itachi. She had done nothing but think back on what Itachi had said to her before Ryo had joined them. The words kept on ringing in her ears, like an annoying track on repeat, despite her attempts to ignore them.

_It was time for him to move on._

The declaration had hurt because, face it, despite everything she still had feelings for him.

And she suspected that he still felt the same. No one could just switch off their feelings like that overnight. It was too abrupt, too contrived.

She was not stupid. She knew that it probably had something to do with his assumptions about Gaara and Ryo. He must have come to the wrong conclusion since their last conversation about it. The question was, did she want to correct him? Did she want to tell him the truth?

If she told him the truth about Gaara, it would most likely lead to her telling him the truth about Ryo. And if he found out about Ryo, what would he do? He would be furious that she had kept it from him. More importantly, she was afraid that he would be furious because there was one more Uchiha left alive.

Or maybe she was wrong about that? Maybe he would be only angry at her for keeping the truth from him for the normal reasons? Maybe he would not mind having a kid? After all, he seemed to be getting on so well with Ryo. So well that it almost pained her to watch them interact because she felt so guilty for keeping them apart.

She slumped between her knees, muffling a groan.

What should she do now?

Maybe she should just let it be. What was the point of complicating matters? Itachi would not know any better and Ryo would be safe.

So what if she felt down and depressed? She had asked for this, had she not? She had been pushing them in this direction for weeks now. So she had no one to blame but herself for how she was feeling right now. In fact, she probably deserved this agony for all her omissions of truths ever since leaving Spring Country.

A loud gasp tore through the air suddenly, breaking into her thoughts, forcing her to her feet.

Sakura spun around to find Ryo seated upright on his bedroll, both his hands clamped to the sides of his head as he breathed raggedly. His eyes were wide and wild, his body shaking slightly in terror.

Alarmed, she jumped up and rushed towards him, dropping down to the ground once she reached his side.

"Ryo-Chan? What's wrong?" she asked urgently.

"… Bunshin…" he muttered, eyes now squeezed shut.

Understanding dawned then.

A pair of sandals came into view before Itachi's quiet voice reached them. "Almost one whole day had passed, so the memory flood can be intense for someone as young as him."

She glanced up at Itachi, her earlier dejection about their situation shoved to the back of her mind as she concentrated on the current situation. "Someone must have attacked the clones."

Itachi nodded, and then knelt on the other side of Ryo's bedroll. "They are only copies," he assured, placing a steady hand on the boy's shoulder. "It will ease soon."

Ryo's eyes flew open again. Huffing, staring forward with wide eyes, he sputtered out brokenly, "… another ambush… flashing chakra… katana coming down on Okaa-san…"

Frustrated that she did not know what was going on, since her own bunshin had not been dispelled yet, Sakura pulled him tighter to her. "It will be okay, Ryo-Chan. I'm here."

Ryo exhaled a shuddering breath, his small form trembling against her. "I-It's _them_, Okaa-san! The masked men!"

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as his words sank in. So, her suspicion was correct after all. If it was the same group of attackers, then it must mean that they had been tracking the Shinjutama fragment Ryo's clone had carried with him. And so-

Her train of thought broke suddenly.

To be replaced by images upon images which could only have come from her bunshin.

She saw her shadow clone travelling with Ryo's until they reached the border between Wind and Fire. The trip was uneventful, but not unpleasant. Both shadow clones conversed lightly with each other during the journey, but in quiet voices as they usually did when travelling across countries. There was nothing unusual so far.

However, the moment they went into the forested area, leaving the open expanse of sand behind, they were ambushed. A group of eight shinobi dressed in black, with black strips bisecting their faces, appeared in a cloud of grey teleportation smoke and instantly surrounded them.

They had demanded for both of them to surrender peacefully.

A battle had broken out right after her shadow clone had refused to obey. They were badly outnumbered, but that did not stop her from knocking out four of them before Ryo was taken out. Their attackers had been confused for a moment, clearly not expecting Ryo to be a clone. And then the remaining attackers turned their attention to her.

Her clone put up a fight, but it was clearly not enough. With a hard blow to her midsection, she disintegrated in a puff of smoke.

"Okaa-san?"

Sakura blinked, clearing the images from her mind. Still shaken, she gathered Ryo tightly into her arms, breathing in deep as she did so.

"Both clones are gone?" Itachi asked in his usual quiet tones.

Detaching herself from Ryo, she looked up and told him, "I think it's safe to say that they want us because of our Shinju blood." She inclined her head at a confused Ryo. "Even his diluted one."

"What Shinju blood?" Ryo asked immediately.

She had not spoken to her son about this yet, but this was as good as any time, she supposed. "We descended from the Shinju clan. My late mother is the direct descendant of that clan, I think," she explained.

"But why do they want us?" Ryo asked.

Sakura grimaced. "I assume it has something to do with the Shinjutama."

"Where is the Shinjutama fragment now?" Itachi asked before Ryo could carry on with his questioning.

"It fell when Ryo's shadow clone disappeared." Her lips quirked slightly then. "They were clearly surprised that he was not real. I guess they didn't expect him to be a clone."

Itachi regarded Ryo with an unreadable expression as he remarked, "Not many children could manage such a feat."

"But it was weird when the memories came back." Ryo's face scrunched. "Like they are real, but not real at the same time. Like dreams."

Proud that he was handling this reasonably well, she patted his head and assured him, "You'll get used to them after some time."

However, Ryo did not look happy at all at the mention that there might be a 'next time'. So, okay, perhaps he did not like the experience all that much.

Itachi stood up then, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. "Come. We will move now."

Understanding Itachi's unspoken urgency, she nodded. "Ryo-Chan, pack-up quickly and thoroughly. Make sure you clear all signs that you've been here. We don't want to leave a trail for anyone to follow."

"I know, Okaa-san," he whined. "You say that every time."

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

They packed quickly, and then continued on their journey swiftly. Well-rested and once again in the familiar terrain of Fire Country, for her and Itachi anyway, the journey was quicker. Of course their increase in speed could also be because of the threat of being followed, since those masked shinobi now knew that the real Sakura and Ryo were probably on a different route to Konoha.

They arrived in Konoha after the sun had set, walking through the tall gates abreast with Ryo between her and Itachi. A strange ache in her chest appeared when it struck her that this was the first time all three of them walked home together. It was almost like they were a real family, but that was not really the case, was it? In fact, they were further apart than ever, especially after Itachi's proclamation.

The gate guards greeted them with smiles and noted down their arrival, instructing Itachi as per the usual procedures to report to the Hokage for debriefing. And then the guard who was flipping through the logbook began to frown. She knew what was wrong. Because she was not out on a usual mission, her name was not there.

"You won't find my name in there," she told him.

The guards exchanged looks with each other, and then turned to Itachi. "You're taking her to the Hokage?"

"Aa."

They nodded, and then waved them through, casting her a brief look of disapproval.

Sakura felt chastised already, and the Hokage had not even told her off yet.

Without another word, she continued further down the street into Konoha with Ryo beside her and Itachi a couple of steps ahead. At this time of the evening, most people were indoors, having their evening meal, which meant that there were not many detours or distractions in their journey to the Hokage's office. The only person who saw them was Ino, who was just closing up her family's flower shop.

The blonde brightened up when her blue eyes landed on Ryo. Stepping out into the road towards them, Ino's lips stretched into a wide smile. "Hey, young man, haven't seen you for a while. Where have you been?"

"Ino-san!" Returning her smile, Ryo explained, "I was in Suna."

"Yeah, sure, ignore me, won't you?" Sakura drawled dryly.

Ino straightened, giving the silently watching Itachi a brief look before she turned to her with a grin. But Sakura recognized the questioning gleam in her friend's eyes for what it was. There would be questions later. Many questions.

"We have to catch up sometime. I haven't spoken to you properly in weeks," Ino told her.

"Been busy."

Ino sighed in exasperation. "Confidential matters?"

Sakura laughed lightly. "Correct."

"Ino-san can come for dinner sometime, right, Okaa-san?" Ryo piped in.

Sakura gave her son a flat look. "And how many times have I told you not to invite people to our home before asking me?"

Ryo had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, Okaa-san. Forgot."

"And I'm not just _people._ I'm your best girl friend," Ino pointed out with a huff.

Holding her arms up in surrender, Sakura told her, "Alright, alright!" Then, with a wry grin, she added, "I'll let you know once things are more settled, and you can come over for dinner, okay?"

"Settled?" Ryo echoed questioningly. "What's being settled?"

"Your mother is busy with her duties," Itachi supplied, speaking for the first time over this conversation.

Ryo gave Itachi a hopeful look then. "But you're Okaa-san's captain. You can give her time off so that Ino-san can come over for dinner. And you can join us too if you want."

Sakura almost choked on her own breath.

Ino laughed out loud. "Ryo-Chan, didn't your mother just tell you not to invite others without asking her first?"

Ryo flashed her a sheepish, but clearly unrepentant, grin. "Oops."

Sakura did not dare to look at Itachi. Instead, she shot a stern look at the boy, one which he quickly averted his eyes from. The far-too-innocent expression on Ryo's face clued her in that her son was not as oblivious as he was making himself out to be. Clearly, he had wanted to spend more time with his Uchiha-san, and was simply doing this to orchestrate another event to make it happen. The boy was far too cunning for his own good at times.

When Sakura finally dared to sneak a glance at the Uchiha, she found him staring off into the distance solemnly. A few days ago, he would have taken advantage of the opening Ryo had handed him, but now, it seemed that he was bent on ignoring everything that was personal between them.

Which suited her fine, right?

So why was her heart twisting so uncomfortably again?

Shaking her silly melancholy away, she forced out a smile her blonde friend. "We'd better make a move. We're on our way to see the Hokage."

Ino wriggled her fingers at them. "Later, then."

"Come, Ryo-Chan," she instructed her son as she walked towards the Hokage tower.

Once again, they trudged along silently until the large building came into view in front of them. Without pause, she led Ryo with her and entered, climbing the spiraling stairway until she reached the top floor. A moment later, she was standing in front of the Hokage's office with Itachi behind her, looking over her shoulder.

A sheet of white paper filled with untidy black scratchings was pinned on the wooden door, greeting her almost mockingly. Softly, she read the words out.

'_Dearest Leaf-nins, _

_For all mission debriefings; come back tomorrow morning. _

_For all mission allocations; go to Nara Shikamaru._

_For all papers requiring signatures; slip them under the door._

_For all incoming messages; slip them under the door, unless they are from any of the other Kages, in which case, send them to Nara Shikamaru. _

_For all Leaf-nins with captives from hostile territories; send them to secure lock-up. _

_For all ANBU matters; see Morino Ibiki. _

_For any signs of invasion; ring the emergency alarm._

_Unless it's a life or death situation that no one else can handle, do not seek me out, or there will be severe repercussions._

_Yours, _

_Shichidaime Hokage.'_

"Unbelievable," Sakura muttered under her breath when she finished.

Moving to stand beside her, Itachi remained silent as he stared at the piece of white paper pinned to the wooden door. And then he murmured with a tone of disbelief, "It's rather… negligent."

"Maybe he's really busy," Ryo suggested.

Sakura frowned, wondering what was so important that Kakashi had to gone so far as to drop all his duty tonight, palming them off to Shikamaru and Ibiki. As lazy as Kakashi was, he usually did not shirk his Hokage duties so blatantly.

"It is pointless to wait. Go home," Itachi instructed evenly.

Sakura started at his voice, and then glanced around to find that the ANBU captain was already walking away. His dismissal was so obvious that she could not possibly miss it. And since he did not tell her to meet him tomorrow, she guessed that they would be making their reports separately.

She sighed out loud.

"Okaa-san?"

Ryo was looking at her a little worriedly. "Are you angry with me? For all those invitations?"

If only it was that simple. Forcing out a smile, she answered, "No, Ryo-Chan. I'm just a little tired. Let's go home."

And with that, the two of them trudged out of the Hokage's office.

000

* * *

000

The morning had dawned bright and early.

At least, that was what Sai had told him a few hours ago, just before his meeting with the Uchiha, when it was still morning. He had sort of missed the entire morning, on the account of being too blissfully sated to even move an inch from his bed. Besides, it was not as if there was an emergency happening in Konoha that needed his attention, right? He could afford to lie in one morning.

His moment of respite had come to an end far too soon, and he was now back in the office. Well, he could hardly miss the whole day of work now, could he? It was not as if he had set days of annual leave in this job. How pitiful.

A series of knocks rang out at his door, the unrestrained chakra signatures beyond informing him of the identities of his visitors. Ah, so they were finally here. It was about time, seeing that Uchiha Itachi had already given his report a while ago.

"Hokage-sama. Haruno Sakura and Haruno Ryo requesting entrance."

"Let them in, Sai," he called out to the ANBU who had been allocated guard duty this morning.

Kakashi was still standing next to the window when the door burst open to reveal one of his favorite little persons.

"Kakashi-sama!" Ryo called out.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kakashi saw Sakura wince when her son launched himself bodily at him with the speed of a full-strength wind jutsu. He managed to brace himself just a second before Ryo hit him with an impact hard enough to knock him over if he had not be prepared.

Once he caught his breath, Kakashi held the boy out at arm's length, returning the boy's grin as he greeted, "Yo, Ryo-Chan. You've grown…" Kakashi squinted. "An inch in the last few months?"

"Yes!"

"Impressive."

"And I can do Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu now!"

Kakashi raised a surprised brow. Now, _that_ was impressive. The kid was well on his way to be known as one of the prodigies, which should hardly be surprising considering his parentage.

"Can I have a demonstration?" he asked, pushing up his hitai-ate to reveal his Sharingan.

"Of course!"

Beaming eagerly, Ryo brought his hands together and sped, _sped,_ through the seals like he had done it a hundred times. A flare of chakra followed, and when the cloud of smoke cleared, two identical, grinning boys stood before him.

"What do you think, Kakashi-sama?" Ryo asked excitedly.

"That's outstanding." The chakra distribution was so well done that it would be difficult to distinguish between the real one and the clone if not for his Sharingan. Shaking his head as he chuckled, Kakashi sat back down behind his desk, pulling his hitai-ate down to cover his Sharingan. "I feel old, watching you."

"But you _are_ old," Ryo confirmed guilelessly.

"Ryo…" Sakura chided, rolling her eyes as she approached him at a more sedate pace. "Hokage-sama." Once she was standing in front of his desk, she arched a brow questioningly. "What were you up to last night?"

Ah, last night.

Slowly, he felt a wide grin, a satisfied grin, stretch across his face. In all his years, he had never imagined that he would be so giddy over a date. But it was not just any date. It was with Rin, his favorite woman of all times.

He would gladly empty his pockets every night to buy her exorbitant, overly decorated meals if he could have a repeat of last night.

And what a night it was.

"On second thoughts, I don't want to know," Sakura muttered. "Really, Sensei, leaving a note like that on the door is just a little irresponsible. For some personal business at that."

"I was delegating," he explained.

She let out a disbelieving snort.

Kakashi sighed. Children these days. No respect for the elders at all. Still, he was used to it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryo inching towards the shelf of scrolls, a sure sign of mischief in making. The kid _knew_ that there were forbidden scrolls in there.

And with the finely-honed reflex of a mother, Sakura noticed what he was doing and warned, "Young man, step back from that shelf."

Ryo deflated. "I just want to look."

"Well, you can look from afar."

Kakashi chuckled. It was probably best to get Ryo out of the room, otherwise they could never have a proper conversation because Sakura would be forever trying to keep him out of trouble. But in Kakashi's opinion, she could only do so much, because Ryo was clearly the type of kid who would get into a lot of trouble in any case due to his inquisitiveness.

"I think it's time you pay a visit to Minato, don't you think, Ryo-Chan?"

Ryo nodded enthusiastically. "And Naruto-Ojii-san as well."

"Ah, Naruto is on a mission at the moment." At Ryo's chestfallen expression, Kakashi added, "He will be back in a day or two."

Ryo brightened again.

Glancing at the door, Kakashi called out, "Sai, get in here."

The door opened, revealing said shinobi. He held a half-opened scroll in his hand, suggesting that he had been painting outside when he had been called.

"Sai, take Ryo to the Uzumaki's and keep an eye on him," Kakashi instructed. "And get a message to Uchiha Itachi. Tell him to come here without delay."

With a nod, Sai led a chattering Ryo out of the Hokage's office, leaving him alone with Sakura. The moment the door shut behind the ANBU and the boy, she turned to him.

"Why do you need Uchiha Itachi here?" she immediately asked.

"You'll see later," he waved the question away. Walking around the desk, he sat down and instructed, "Now, tell me what happened to Ryo. In detail."

Sakura grimaced as her eyes clouded, clearly disliking the topic. And then she took a deep breath and told him.

Kakashi listened as she told him how the same group that had attacked her not too long ago had ambushed Ryo. When she explained how she had discovered that the Shinjutama fragment in Ryo's arm was being used as a tracker, and the purpose of teaching Ryo Kage-bunshin-no-jutsu, Kakashi sat up straighter. This was beginning to sound quite serious.

"Whoever they are, they seem intent on getting hold of me and Ryo," Sakura ended worriedly.

For a long while, Kakashi simply sat there, weighing the information he had just received from her. Sakura was right. It looked as if she and Ryo were targeted because of their bloodline, presumably because someone was planning on using the Shinjutama again. In which case, it had to be someone who knew that she possessed Shinju blood in the first place.

However, narrowing down _that_ particular list would be impossible. After all, no one thought to hide the reason for why Sakura had been sent to Spring Country all those years ago. The whole of Konoha probably knew, as well as Yugakure and Suna.

"This is a problem," Kakashi murmured.

"I know." Sakura pinched the spot between her brows. "Gaara said to tell you to increase the security level in Konoha once we're back. I'll be fine on my own, but Ryo probably needs to be guarded."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "I'll get that arranged. Shikamaru is stuck doing something else now, but when he's back, I'll run this past him and see what he thinks."

"Thanks."

And it was at that point that Kakashi sensed another presence approaching his office. A moment later, a series of knocks sounded against his door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Uchiha Itachi walked in.

His arrival seemed to cause the very air in the room to tense up. Or rather, Sakura to freeze up, Kakashi thought as he studied them. Itachi was his usual stoic self. The Uchiha kept his eyes fixed forward, his professional mask intact, while Sakura was clearly fighting to stop fidgeting. It seemed that the situation between these two had deteriorated further since the last time he had seen them. The trip clearly had not worked in their favor.

"You summoned, Hokage-sama?" Itachi prompted politely.

"Hm." Kakashi allowed them to stew for a minute more before he spoke, "Okay, I'll be blunt."

Sakura tensed. "What is it, Hokage-sama?" she asked cautiously.

Oh, this would be so entertaining.

000

* * *

000

The Shichidaime Hokage had something up his sleeve. There was no doubt about it. The man's visible eye was gleaming with a devious light, something most unbecoming of a Hokage. But then again, many of Hatake Kakashi's mannerisms did not fit what one would associate with a Hokage, like his penchant for literary porn.

Something told Itachi that whatever it was this time, he would not like it.

His suspicion was confirmed when Kakashi asked, "So, when are the two of you going to tell me about your past _personal_ relationship?"

Beside him, Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, while he only stared unflinchingly at the now-smirking Copy Nin. Somehow, this was not very surprising, considering the other conversation he had on this topic with the Hokage. Itachi only did not understand why it was necessary for Kakashi to get both of them there at the same time for this confrontation. Surely this could be done on a one-to-one basis if it was only to sate his unending curiosity.

Knowing that Sakura would not recover her composure quickly enough to respond, Itachi replied mildly, "It is not something I planned on reporting."

"Why not?"

"It is not relevant to our roles as Konoha shinobi, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi gave him an odd look. "That's debatable."

It was? Now he was intrigued. From the look on Kakashi's face, it was clear that the Copy Nin knew something he did not.

Sakura finally burst out, "Why are you asking about this?"

"I don't need to tell you my reasons." When she was about to protest, Kakashi continued, "But I'll say that I'm concerned because there is clearly some unresolved tension between the two of you. Hard to work together with those sorts of tension, I think."

Itachi slanted a glance at Sakura to find her paling rapidly. She was not handling this well at all.

"B-But…" Sakura stuttered.

"So? Either of you planning on telling me anything today?" Kakashi pressed in a deceptively mild tone.

Knowing that it would probably be more painless to simply tell the truth, Itachi explained, "We were together as a couple when I was living in Spring Country. At that time, my true identity was hidden behind a civilian façade. I'm no longer in hiding, and the relationship no longer exists."

"Hm." Kakashi regarded them in turn. "Why not?"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura snapped, clearly embarrassed by the rising redness in her cheeks. "That's private!"

Itachi did not miss the pointed look Kakashi gave her as he said, "Sakura, surely you have helped the Godaime long enough to know that I need to ask such questions whenever it could have a bearing on Konoha."

Sakura paled again, her eyes now clouded with worry.

Itachi wondered what he was missing.

"So, maybe you want to answer the question?" Kakashi prompted.

Compelled to aid her, Itachi spoke up. "The relationship no longer exists because we are no longer mutually interested in each other in that manner. Certain things simply cannot be forced, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi nodded slowly, and much to Itachi's puzzlement, there was a hint on regret in his uncovered eye. There was something more at work here, clearly. Especially when Kakashi pinned another pointed look at the now chalk-white kunoichi.

"And Sakura? Do you have anything to add to this topic?" he asked, almost coaxing.

Sakura shook her head slowly.

Kakashi shrugged then, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Well then, there's no need for the two of you to be standing here now. You're dismissed."

Sakura was out of the door first, almost running in her hurry to escape.

Kakashi chuckled, but Itachi could hear no humor in the sound. Instead, the Hokage sounded disappointed. "In so much of a hurry to flee…" the silver-haired nin murmured under his breath.

Itachi did not deign to respond.

Then the Hokage sighed. "Well, since there are only two of us here now, any updates on your strategy since this morning?"

He nodded, thinking through the pending and hopefully final step of his task.

The next step involved separating the remaining ANBU operatives and sending them on a bogus mission. Since the assassin usually acted when the victims were alone, it would be logical to send the ANBU off in pairs. The suspect most likely will attempt something then, and blame it on the failed mission. However, this assumed that the assassin was killing indiscriminately.

After his meeting with the Hokage earlier, he had thought that perhaps the assassin actually possessed a list of targets. In which case, a free selection in partners would be prudent, something which was not very common in ANBU. The operatives were usually paired up with partners allocated to them.

However, in this case, to forward the plans, he had to allow operatives to choose their own partners just in case the assassin chose his victims according to some criteria.

It was a dangerous strategy, something which may cause more deaths, so there must be a backup for all operatives. This backup needed to be kept from their partners, or it would defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Fortunately, he was already in the process of working up a backup plan.

And this was what Itachi explained to the Hokage, who nodded in agreement.

"It sounds as if everything is in hand. You've run this past Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked.

"Aa. He is in agreement."

"Good. When will you be mobilizing then?"

"In a few days. I require some time to prepare the materials required."

"Need some assistance?"

Itachi shook his head. "Not necessary thus far. I will inform you if the situation changes."

"Very well. Let me know when you're mobilizing as soon as you find out." Kakashi inclined his head at the door. "You can go now."

Bowing slightly, Itachi backed out of the Hokage's office.

Knowing that once he recommenced his work, he would be too absorbed in the task to stop, he decided that he had better obtain some food to sustain him the rest of the day. He could bring them back to the ANBU headquarters to continue his strategizing to save time. That way, he would not need to leave his office until everything was resolved.

Remaining in the ANBU headquarters, locked in his own office, also meant that there would be less chance of him running into a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

At that thought, a muted sigh left him. The Hokage certainly had bad timing, bringing up their past relationship out in the open so unexpectedly. Perhaps Kakashi was concerned about the possibility of a strain between Konoha and Suna as the result of his pursuit of Sakura, and was simply taking steps to prevent it.

Well, the Hokage no longer have to worry himself about such a thing.

Itachi was distracted from his thoughts when he exited the building to the sight of a redheaded boy and a blond boy running headlong down the street, followed closely by an ink tiger. They were Ryo and Uzumaki Minato. Being two years older, Ryo was faster, but he was clearly moderating his speed to match the three-year old Uzumaki boy.

Surprised to see them, Itachi stilled his steps and watched.

The two boys with their red and blond hair bouncing wildly around their heads shrieked at the top of their lungs as they pumped their short legs as fast as they could down Konoha's main street, while Sai encouraged his tiger to give chase from some distance behind. It was more than clear that the excessive noise was due to excitement, not fear, as they were also simultaneously laughing. The boys' cheeks were red with exertion, their eyes shining with glee, as they raced past the bystanders, who wisely stepped aside to avoid being knocked down.

The picture instantly drew a smile to Itachi's lips.

Despite his exceptional shinobi skills, Ryo was still behaving like a normal boy. It was something that Itachi was grateful for, the fact that the boy did not share his tightly regimented childhood. Sakura was probably responsible for this, for Itachi could not imagine the woman allowing any child of hers to be treated as a mere tool.

He was spotted a moment later, and the redheaded boy immediately skidded to a stop, the pursuit of the ink tiger forgotten.

"Uchiha-san!" He dragged his younger blond friend by the arm. "Come, Minato, I'll introduce you to him. He taught me the clone jutsu."

Itachi waited until the two boys came upon him.

"Uchiha-san, this is Minato, my best friend," Ryo introduced.

"Ryo-kun, Minato-kun," Itachi greeted. Inclining his head at the smaller boy, he added, "We've met before."

Minato blinked at him, and then grinned. "I remember! You asked my Okaa-san about Ryo's Okaa-san."

He was surprised that the blond boy remembered. "That's right," he conceded.

"What did you ask her?" Ryo queried curiously.

Sai's approach interrupted them, and Itachi looked up just as the dark-haired shinobi came up upon them. Stopping beside his creator, the ink tiger sat on its haunches, regarding them mildly.

"Taichou," Sai greeted blandly.

"You're supervising them today?" Itachi asked, flicking his eyes at the boys then pointedly at the tiger.

"They claimed to be restless indoors, so I provided them with exercise," Sai explained.

"The tiger is fun!" Minato exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Ryo agreed.

It was at the tip of Itachi's tongue to remind them that such a jutsu was a weapon, not a toy, but the wide smiles on the children's faces stilled his words. What did it matter if they played with the tiger? Besides, it was not really harmful, since Sai was in full control of its actions.

"Are you busy, Uchiha-san?"

Itachi thought of the uncompleted strategies in the ANBU headquarters, but found himself answering, "Why?"

"Can we train?" Ryo asked, hope gleaming in his eyes. "Minato wants to join in as well."

At times like this, Itachi kept thinking back to Sasuke and how he had disappointed his little brother over and over again in the past. The notion of doing the same to Ryo did not appeal at all. Even if Minato was probably a little too young for ninja arts.

And so he said, "If you wish. But only for an hour."

"An hour is enough!" Ryo gushed. "Let's go now."

And that was how Itachi found himself training two little boys under the watchful eyes of one amused ex-Root.

000

* * *

000

Seated on a bench outside the hospital, where she had been helping out earlier, Sakura swung her legs back and forth idly as she stared out into the street.

Several days had passed since they had returned from Suna, and Ryo was settling into Konoha like he had always lived there.

Right now, Ryo was at the other end of the village, reroofing some old lady's house. One of the genin teams was lacking a member, due to the boy being down with something he had caught when he was out on a mission, so Ryo had temporarily taken his place, carrying out D-ranked missions in the village. It also helped that the jounin sensei was Tenten, who was more than capable of keeping him in line.

It was quite amazing how children could adapt so easily to changes in their environment. It was something she was always grateful for, seeing how Ryo kept moving between Suna and Konoha. She supposed it was because unlike adults, children were not so set in their own ways. To them, things were much simpler.

Simple was what her life should be now that Itachi was no longer stalking her around every corner. Whilst she had been wary of bumping into him in the streets before, she now found herself surreptitiously sweeping the area each time she went out, just to see if he was around by any chance.

She should be happy and relieved, but each time she failed to see him, she felt disappointment crashing over her.

It was humiliating and sad just how much she longed for his attention. But she had no one to blame but herself for the loss of it. She had pushed him away one too many times and now, he was _staying _away. She kept trying to convince herself that it was for the best, though.

But that did not mean that it did not hurt.

Her eyes burned at the thought, and she had to suck in a deep breath to still the urge to cry. She was being stupid.

"Sakura-Chan!"

She spun around to find Naruto jogging towards her, wearing his usual grin. Surprised and happy to see him, she jumped to her feet, wearing a large smile.

"Naruto!"

Skidding to a stop before her, he greeted, "Good morning, Sakura-Chan!"

Before she could say anything much, she found herself dragged down and across the street to Ichiraku. It was far too early for that particular fast food, not that it stopped Naruto, but she did not feel like protesting. It was good to see Naruto, since he was not around when she got back.

Ayame was there at the front of the stall, wiping down the surface of the table when they arrived. She welcomed them with a pleasant smile.

"Naruto, Sakura."

"Hi, Ayame," Sakura returned.

"Good morning, Ayame! Two miso ramen, please," Naruto ordered the moment he plopped down onto the stool.

Ayame turned to her. "Anything for you, Sakura?"

"One tempura ramen please," Sakura ordered as she sat down.

"Won't be a moment."

Ayame turned to the back of the stall to place their orders with Teuchi and to help with the food preparation, leaving the two of them alone at the front of the stall. Sakura immediately scanned Naruto's form, noting with relief that he was uninjured and well. In fact, he looked strangely _clean_ for someone who had just gotten back from a mission.

"You just got back?" Sakura asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, Kakashi palmed off this diplomatic meeting to me, so I left four days ago for Tea Country." His expression twisted into a picture of disgust. "I swear, that old man's growing lazier by the day."

Sakura laughed. "I think he's just grooming you to take his place some day."

"Che!" Naruto crossed his arms across his chest. "I can takeover any day!"

Sakura's expression softened as she asked, "Then why don't you?" she asked gently.

Naruto slumped slightly, and his face turned pensive. "You know why, Sakura-Chan."

She sighed heavily. "Even _you_ can't save everyone, Naruto."

"That's what he said as well," he muttered under his breath.

"Who?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

Sakura blinked in surprised. Then, realizing when Itachi had probably said that to Naruto, she asked, "What else did he tell you that day?"

Naruto's blue eyes clouded immediately, and she could tell that whatever it was, he was troubled by it. What could be so bad?

"Naruto? Why can't you tell me?" she asked softly.

Raising a hand, he ran it down his face wearily before he told her seriously, "I told you before that you won't want to hear it, Sakura."

"Try me." Placing a hand on his arm, she coaxed, "You can't always shield your friends from problems, Naruto. Sometimes, you have to let us handle things as well."

Naruto sighed heavily, leaning forward against the counter. "It's about Sasuke."

Sakura tensed, but she waited for Naruto to continue.

He flicked a cautionary glance at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You're really sure you want to know? It's not going to be nice."

"Just tell me, Naruto," she demanded, sick of not knowing.

"Fine. Fine." He paused for a moment, as if he was gathering his thoughts, then he began. "Remember what I told you about Sasuke when you first got back two years ago, after we got Konoha back?"

It was a bittersweet time of her life. On one hand, she got home after so many years. But on the other hand, on the very same day, she had found out that Sasuke was dead. "You told me that he was tortured to death." Her voice shaking, she added, "He was also experimented on."

Naruto nodded. "I didn't realize just why they were torturing him until recently."

"Why?" she practically whispered, trying to tamp down her growing anxiety.

Naruto closed his eyes, his expression twisted as if it was painful for him to even think about it. And when he opened them, those blue orbs were glassy with tears. "S-Sasuke was planning to attack Konoha."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"What?" she hissed, hardly believing what she was hearing.

Her blond friend said nothing, leaving her to absorb the information. The topic of Sasuke had always been a sensitive one. And something like this? It was hard to swallow, the thought of Sasuke doing such a thing. It did not make sense. Why would he do it? Why would Sasuke want to attack Konoha? Konoha had never been his target as far as she knew.

After a long while, she managed to choke out, "Why?"

Naruto let out a humorless chuckle. "He was stupid, that's why."

At that point, the sound of footsteps reached them and a moment later, Ayame placed steaming bowls of ramen in front of them. Sakura thanked her mechanically, staring at her food without a single thought of eating it. Beside her, Naruto stared at his ramen for a few seconds before picking up and unsnapping his chopsticks. She watched as he began to eat slowly, unlike his usual way of gorging his food. Clearly, his mind was still on Sasuke.

Sighing, she made an effort at eating, but all the while her mind whirred with questions surrounding Sasuke. Why would he want to attack Konoha? As far as she knew, Itachi had been his sole target. Attacking Konoha was never part of his 'dreams'. Why would Itachi tell Naruto something like that? Was it something Sasuke had said to his brother during their fights all those years ago in Spring Country? It crossed her mind to doubt the validity of this piece of information, but she knew for sure that despite everything, Itachi had never directly lied to anyone. He might omit information, but as far as she knew, he never lied.

She managed to finish half of her food before she gave up. There was no way she could eat anymore when she had no appetite at all.

So she waited until Naruto had finished all his food before she asked, "Want to go to the training grounds? I have questions."

Naruto placed his chopsticks on the lip of his bowl and stretched. With a pained smile, he stood up, "Let's go."

After paying, they walked in silence to their old training grounds. Once they arrived, she almost expected to see the three old training posts, but although the training ground was still there, the posts had not been reinstalled in the same position after Pein's demolition of Konoha. It was a minor thing, after all, in the scheme of things. It had taken everyone long enough to rebuild without fussing over such trivial details.

She could hardly believe Sasuke had wanted to destroy Konoha all over again.

Stopping at the set of new training posts, she turned to Naruto to find him leaning back against one of the posts, staring off thoughtfully into the distance. Clearly, he was once again organizing his thoughts, something that she would not have thought Naruto was capable of doing ten years ago. But a lot had changed since then, for all of them. And it was at times like this that she could see him leading Konoha, the way he had dreamed of doing ever since he was a kid.

"It took me a while to process what Itachi told me," Naruto finally began. "That day, at the first training session, he told me what I have just told you. Later, after thinking over it, I went back to him. Asked him questions. Asked him to tell me the truth." He exhaled loudly. "And he did."

This sounded eerily like the unfinished conversation she had with Itachi, and she had a feeling that it was probably about the same thing.

With a healthy amount of trepidation, she prompted, "Tell me."

Naruto held her eyes as he spoke, allowing her to see his pain… and his disappointment. "Sasuke wanted to attack Konoha for revenge."

Sakura gasped. Revenge? "What? Why?"

"He wanted revenge because Konoha's council ordered Itachi to wipe out the Uchiha clan."

A dull sensation throbbed between her ears. She could hear his words, but she found them hard to absorb in her shock. The Uchiha massacre had happened because Konoha had _ordered_ it?

Naruto continued, "Itachi was a double agent, spying for Konoha and his own clan, but his loyalties lie with Konoha. Back then, the Uchiha clan was planning a coup to takeover Konoha, and thanks to Itachi, Konoha was aware of it. So when it came down to it, when the council placed the order, Itachi obeyed. Killed everyone except Sasuke because he simply could not do it. I suspect he only managed to kill off the rest of the clan because if he didn't, they would kill innocent villagers in their crazy coup to gain power."

Sakura started to shake, horrified by what she was hearing.

The Uchiha clan was _disloyal_?

Itachi was… _ordered_ to kill his family?

"Itachi never wanted Sasuke to find out. When he left Konoha, he wanted Sasuke to remember the clan fondly. But that bastard Madara told Sasuke everything," Naruto said in a hard voice. "It set Sasuke off on Konoha. It placed the blame on Konoha, and that was why Sasuke wanted to exact revenge on the village."

"But surely Sasuke wasn't stupid enough to think he can attack a whole village," she cried out, distraught.

Naruto shook his head. "He had a bijuu under his control at that time, apparently. He planned on releasing the bijuu into the village, and then in the chaos, attack the council."

"But that's-" She broke off shakily, not able to complete the thought that Sasuke had been mad enough to come up with such a reckless plan. That he had cared nothing for those lives in Konoha, lives that his own brother had done everything to protect.

Her hands came up to her head, her fingers tightening in her hair as she tried to make sense of the entire situation. She slid down against a training post to land on the ground, where she sat numbly on a patch of grass. All the while, Itachi had no control over the entire situation. He was only a pawn caught in a bigger game. That meant that all this time, he had only been trying to save lives of the innocents.

That meant that every nasty thought she had had of him was completely false. He was innocent, and he was wronged.

She had been so, so stupid.

"Sakura?"

With some effort, she lifted her gaze to him to find Naruto staring at her worriedly. Crouching down in front of her, he reached out to pull her forward. The faint scent of the forest and ramen assaulted her when he hugged her tight.

"It is really true?" she whispered against his chest.

"Afraid so," he rumbled back. "Took me some time to come to terms with it as well. I didn't think the council was that ruthless."

"The council is gone. That's why Itachi can just walk back in here and take up the post of the ANBU captain so easily," she uttered numbly.

"Yeah."

Sakura did not know what else to say. Instead, she let out a shuddering breath, her tears finally leaking out from the corner of her eyes.

Held in Naruto's arm, she allowed herself to sob softly as she mentally railed against the ruthlessness of the council, the self-sacrificing nature of Itachi and her own stupidity.

And she sobbed for the missed opportunities that had been brought on by the hidden truths surrounding them all these years.

000

* * *

000

A chilly morning breeze swept by as Itachi stepped out of the warmth of the bathhouse building. It had been relaxing to simply lay back and unwind after the past few days of intensive planning and strategizing. Everything was ready for mobilization and the ANBU should have received their instructions from the Hokage by now.

He had only taken a few steps away from the bathhouse, approaching the arched bridge across the river ahead when he paused, his senses spiking in warning.

Someone was tracking him.

Although he could not read his tracker's chakra signature, he had caught sight of the person sufficient number of times over the past few days to know that a certain Haruno Sakura was following him. She quite clearly wished to speak to him, but seem to be unable to compel herself to approach him directly, something which suited him fine. Because the last thing he wished to experience was another confrontation with her.

Usually, avoiding a problem in this manner was not how he operated. However, when it came to Sakura, he found that his usual actions meant nothing. She disrupted his orderly thoughts and plans, muddying up what was previously clear and made him question himself.

Ever since he had plainly told her that he would no longer pursue her, he had had the time to think. And what was foremost in his mind was how foolish he had been in pursuing such a futile objective. And now, he had caused not only himself distress, but Sakura as well.

He should have left things as they were. His pursuit of her only made things more complicated because clearly, Sakura did not wish to leave the topic alone now. There could be no other reason that would explain what she was currently doing. Because if it was not a personal matter, she would not hesitate to approach him directly.

Trying to ignore her presence, he walked across the bridge calmly. The river gurgled gently beneath, the sight and sound of it soothing him. He paused there, watching the water flow by seamlessly.

The peace did not last long, for a moment later, she was standing right in front of him, between him and the end of the bridge. She was clad in her ANBU uniform, her mask down at her chin as she faced him.

So, it appeared that she finally worked up enough courage to face him.

"We need to talk," she announced, her voice clear and demanding.

How ironic it was the when he was trying to put some space between them, she was seeking him out so willingly. However, he could not blatantly walk away from her this time. He had to at least hear out what she had come to say.

Resigning himself to suffer through this, he leaned back against the railing before he fixed his full attention on her.

Raising a brow, he invited, "Feel free to speak."

"I…" she broke off, suddenly looking uncertain. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I know the truth about the Uchiha clan and Sasuke."

He tensed in shock. Who could have told her?

A moment later, the answer came to him.

"Naruto told you," he murmured.

"Yes." Her face twisting slightly as if in agony, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ah, it was because of this, was it? The answer was simple. Sakura did not need to know this information, but Naruto was different. As their future Hokage, he needed to understand and learn from the mistakes of his predecessors. There would be no more of such orders issued from the administration if Itachi could help it.

"What difference would it make if I told you? It all happened in the past," he told her mildly.

"The past shapes the future!" she declared heatedly. "Why didn't you tell Sasuke the truth earlier, before he went down that road?"

Itachi felt a jolt of regret mixed with frustration. "Sasuke was meant to grow up as one with Konoha, with the support of the Leaf shinobi. I had no intention of darkening his thoughts against the administration."

"You could have explained it."

Her fixation on Sasuke was beginning to infuriate him all over again. She was always like this when it came to his little brother, even now when she knew the truth.

"Why didn't you at least _try_ to explain it to Sasuke?" she pressed.

"He was five." Itachi added stonily, "Besides, it is likely that he would react the same way and still sought revenge against Konoha. He would only get himself killed sooner."

Sakura bit her bottom lip worriedly, a furrow marring her brows. For a long while, she simply stared at the ground, saying nothing. The fact that she was troubled by this did not sit well with him. He felt the urge to close the gap which separated them, to gather her in his arms to console her, but he knew that he could not.

Perhaps it was time to bring this conversation to a close, before he was tempted to do something foolish.

"You understand now why I said he had chosen this path of his own volition, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted sadly. "But Sasuke should have understood that what the council did does not justify an attack on the whole of Konoha. He-"

"I prefer not to discuss Sasuke's motives any further," he interjected curtly, wanting to end this conversation. "It is pointless at this juncture."

She stared at him wide-eyed, surprised and perhaps a little hurt.

It was better this way. He simply could not cope being in such close contact with her and knowing that he could no longer have her for himself. As weak as it might sound, he needed to keep a distance between them.

"Is there anything else you require?" he asked formally.

It took her a moment before she shook her head slowly, staring at him as if she could not recognize him. And he hated the sensation.

Spinning around, he quickly walked away past her, leaving the bridge behind.

Before he gave in to the temptation to soothe her hurt away.

His feet felt leaden as his steps took him towards the ANBU headquarters. She had not followed him, and he supposed that it meant that she had finally accepted that it was over. The realization gave him no satisfaction at all. Instead, it only intensified the feeling of heavy dejection that he had been feeling since they had left Suna.

By the time he reached his office in the ANBU headquarters, he was ready to just shut himself somewhere private and not face anyone for days. The effort it took to maintain his expressionless mask seemed harder these days, and right at this moment, he simply did not feel like doing so.

And with that thought, he locked the door behind him and sat down at his desk, leaning back with his eyes closed. He sent himself into a meditative state by emptying his mind of all thoughts, focusing only on his own breathing.

He did not know how long he remained that way, but he was relieved that he no longer felt so distressed when a knock came upon his door. A quick glance at the window told him that he had been in the meditative state for the past two hours at least.

"Uchiha, are you in there?"

It was Ibiki.

"Yes," he replied, standing up to walk to the door.

When he opened it to reveal the other shinobi standing there with an armful of scrolls, Ibiki said, "It's time to mobilize."

With a nod, Itachi closed the door and followed him until they reached the briefing room. The remaining thirteen ANBU was gathered there, their numbers seemed pitiful in comparison with the size of the room.

At their entrance, the room hushed.

Ibiki dropped his small armful of scrolls on the table next to the door before heading to the front of the briefing room. Silently, Itachi walked beside him until they were standing facing the group of shinobi. Yamashiro Aoba, Namiashi Raido, Shiranui Genma, Uzuki Yuugao, Komachi, Sai, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji, Tera, Hayase, Sarugaku Tsuzumi, Shinozuka Aoi and Haruno Sakura were all there, waiting expectantly.

"This is likely to be the final assessment," Itachi told them. "This time, the assignment is to be carried out outside the walls of Konoha. As part of this assessment, some of you were given an object to protect during this mission. You will keep this object hidden on your person at all times." His eyes turned hard. "Your partner may or may not have one. You will not divulge its presence or location to your partner under _any_ circumstances. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Taichou," came the collective response.

Ibiki spoke next, "You will leave in pairs." He gestured at the pile of scrolls. "Each pair will take one scroll and leave immediately once you're clear on the instructions within the scrolls."

"Taichou?"

Itachi turned to Aoba Yamashiro. "Yes?"

"There are thirteen of us. What about the odd person out? Will he be carrying out the mission alone?"

Itachi nodded. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll go alone," Hyuuga Neji volunteered.

"Very well." Ibiki glanced around the room. "The rest of you, pair up."

And Itachi watched intently as the ANBU operatives chose their partners.

000

* * *

000

Itachi had been so cold towards her.

Sakura poked at the crackling fire idly, trying not to feel too miserable about it. She had been so close to telling him the truth this morning, but he had brushed her off so callously. Clearly, he was no longer interested. And sadly, she was still far too attracted and attached to him.

She truly did bring this upon herself.

After her talk with Naruto, she had spent a whole day locked in her room thinking about everything through a haze of tears. And finally, she had arrived at the conclusion that it was time for the whole truth to be revealed. Hiding the truth so far had done nothing but create more hurt and misunderstandings, it seemed.

If she had not made so many assumptions based on incomplete facts, then she would not be in this position. If she had not accepted the worst about Itachi, then perhaps they would still have a chance. And if she had done all that, Ryo would know his father.

But now, she was not so sure it would be a good idea to tell Itachi. He seemed bent on putting a distance between them. She was not sure how he would take the news that Ryo would be always there to connect them in some ways.

A heavy, jagged sigh left her.

"Sakura?"

She looked up to find Aoi heading towards her. He had casually asked her to partner him at the end of the briefing and she had accepted. Well, it did not matter who she partnered with, she supposed. It would be the same.

"So, did they give you an object to protect?"

She glanced enquiringly at him, remembering Kakashi's stern instructions when she had been given hers. It was a tiny band she wore around her wrist, under her glove. It was the object she was not meant to reveal to her partner.

"The object Taichou mentioned earlier?" she asked.

"Yes."

She shrugged. "I didn't get one."

"Hm."

He was clearly suspicious, which in turn send a chill up her spine. Warning bells began to ring in her head. Something was wrong here, because there was no good reason why he should even ask her that question at all.

Not to mention the warning glint in Kakashi's eye when he warned her to be careful out there. She had thought that he meant the attacks that had happened over the past few weeks, but now she was not so sure.

She tensed when Aoi reached into the inner pocket of his ANBU vest, her eyes following his movements intently as he brought out a small ring the size which would probably fit around his middle finger.

Eyeing it speculatively, he commented, "I was given this. Odd thing, isn't it?"

He was not supposed to show it to her, but Sakura did not mention it. Instead, she said, "Looks like a regular silver ring to me. Why do you think it is odd?"

"Why give one to me and not to you?" he mused.

She forced herself to shrug casually, not wanting to seem too interested in his question. "Must be another test. This whole thing is an assessment anyway."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. It has been one test after another so far," she pointed out.

"So I must have failed this one, since I have just shown this to you," he told her, his eyes glinting in a way that sent warning alarms blaring in her mind.

Sakura decided not to say anything to that. Her hand, however, was twitching in need to grab a weapon at the moment. She had not seen Shinozuka Aoi like this before, let alone actually feel as if she was in danger from him. There was a ruthless aura radiating from him, reminding her of the sort she usually encountered when facing a particularly vicious enemy.

Maybe this was not really Aoi. Maybe she had missed something during the day's journey here since she had been so preoccupied. In fact, she had barely noticed her partner this whole day, despite travelling together.

Forcing herself to be casual, she stood up. "I'm going to the river to wash up."

He eyed her for a moment, and then with a knowing smirk, he nodded.

Trying not to run, she turned and walked away from the fire, fully intending to run somewhere safe to send a message back to Konoha. Because her gut instincts were telling her that there was something really, really wrong with this supposed partner of hers. And Kakashi had specifically told her to report back immediately the moment she sensed something was wrong, regardless of how minor the situation was.

The river would be a good place to start, because it was easy to lose one's trail along the water. She could see it right ahead, its surface glittering under the moonlight. It seemed to beckon at her, urging her to come closer.

But before she could reach it, the deliberately loud crunch of broken twigs made her spin around.

To find Shinozuka Aoi standing there watching her, the unsheathed blade of his katana catching the silvery gleam of moonlight.

"What are you doing?" she asked warily.

He shifted his katana, smirking as he did so. "Who do you think will win in a battle between two of us?"

Sakura's lips went dry as something horrifying occurred to her. She found it hard to believe, but what else could it be? It had been happening for months now, and she knew that Kakashi had suspected that it might be an insider.

But never would she have guessed that it was the man standing before her.

Her voice was trembling with a mix of anger and disgust when she spat, "You. You're the one killing off the Leaf ANBU, aren't you?"

000

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000

A/N: And the plot moves forward. Hope you've enjoyed the chapter. Please review if you could – it makes my day!

:elle6778:


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, as always. There are a couple of questions I'd like to answer today. J, the updates will come every two weeks or so nowadays because the chapters are about twice as long as it was when I was updating weekly. On average, I can manage a maximum of 1k words a day. As for the length of the story, we've definitely finished half of the story already, so at the least, there will be about 5 more chapters, and at the most, about 10 more chapters.

If any of you haven't noticed yet. I have a poll up on my ffnet profile. It's a possible story I'm working on, and would like your vote on the pairings.

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 12**

Itachi stepped away from the small window at the end of his office, where he had been taking in the chilly night air in the attempt to clear his mind and focus his attention. Returning to his desk, he tapped his fingers idly on the surface.

It had been more than twelve hours since the ANBU teams had mobilized into the field.

Since then, he had been growing increasingly anxious because his primary suspect had chosen to partner a certain pink-haired kunoichi. With that in mind, he was not certain if he should hope that the shinobi would make his move today or not. If the assassin made his move, then Sakura would certainly be in danger, and despite everything, that was the last thing he wished on her.

Sakura would be fine. Even if there was trouble, they would know about it and he could move on to his backup plan, he attempted to assure himself.

"Oi, Uchiha."

Itachi glanced up from his position at the desk to find Nara Shikamaru at the door to his office, bearing two cups of steaming tea. "Thought you might like some."

The strategist kicked the door shut behind him before walking into the room to set a cup of tea in front of him. Then he proceeded to sit in the chair across the desk, nursing his own cup of tea while Itachi reached for his.

"Thank you," he murmured before sipping the hot beverage.

For a while, they simply sat there in silence, each lost to their own thoughts. Then the younger shinobi broke the silence.

"They're coming around, you know."

Itachi arched a brow in question.

The other shinobi regarded him carefully. "The ANBU, I mean. They're more accepting of you now."

"They are merely getting acclimatized."

"That could be it," the spiky-haired shinobi agreed. "Or it may be because you're a good captain."

"Hm."

It was at that point that the sound of rapid footsteps reached them.

Even though he felt alarm rising within him, Itachi merely straightened calmly when the door burst open to reveal a breathless chuunin.

"Uchiha-san, Shikamaru-san." The chuunin panted loudly, her voice tinged with panic. "You're wanted in the observation room now. It's very urgent."

Itachi's eyes widened in comprehension. In a blink of an eye, he was out of his office, streaking down the corridor to the room in question with Nara behind him. He should not have left the observation room, despite Morino Ibiki's insistence that they should do the work in shifts.

A minute later, they burst into the room to find Ibiki there alone.

"We found him," Morino Ibiki announced grimly. "He's with Haruno."

Adrenaline jolted through him. Outwardly calm, Itachi went up to the older shinobi who was standing over a row of scrolls. Silently, he cast his eyes over a particular transcription scroll, taking in the words that were recorded on it.

…"_How clever of you to guess. Too bad you won't be telling anyone."_

"_Why? Why kill them all?"_

"_It wasn't intentional, I assure you. I'm not a murderer. Unlike a certain captain of ours."_

Itachi tensed at those words, knowing exactly what the man was insinuating. However, this was not the time to react to such things. There was a more important issue here to focus on.

"_Don't talk about him like that, Shinozuka! You know nothing!"_

"_Ah, so little Sakura has a soft spot for the Uchiha, huh? How disgusting."_

"_Shut up and fight!" _

"_Give up already, Sakura-chan."_

"_Don't call me that, you shithead! Betrayer to your own village!"_

"_Oh? Very funny, especially coming from you."_

"_What are you talking about?" _

"_You don't really belong to Konoha, now, do you?"_

"_What the hell? You're not making sense." _

"_You're Shinju, aren't you? Half-blooded, but still strong enough to be functional."_

"_I see. So this is all about the Shinju again."_

"_You're wasted in Konoha. But don't worry, I'll put you where you belong."_

"_Over my dead body."_

"_Well, I wouldn't mind, but you need to be alive."_

"_Why? Why do you need me alive?" _

"_Ah, too long a story. Anyway, it's probably best to knock you out completely before we go anywhere, huh?"_

"_I'm not going anywhere with you."_

"_Then I'll just have to make sure you can't object, hm?" _

"_How the hell do you think you're going to get away with this, huh, you bastard?"_

"_Ah, Sakura-chan. I won't be going back to Konoha after this. All because I have to finish the job some incompetent idiots couldn't see through. You, Haruno Sakura, have caused me no end of trouble there."_

And Itachi's heart skipped a beat. There was no mistaking the threat in those words.

"They are too far away already. At the border, from what I could tell," Ibiki said.

"Uchiha, we know who it is now. So this would be a good time for the backup-" Shikamaru began.

"I know," Itachi interjected, already performing the necessary seals.

This would work.

It had to work.

000

* * *

000

Sakura streaked to the side the moment she saw the grey-eyed ANBU begin a series of seals, his chakra levels building so rapidly that his spiky purple hair was swept wildly around his head. Mindful of his reputation as a highly-skilled genjutsu specialist, who was particularly skilled in long-distance attacks, she created a shadow clone to confuse him, while hiding her real body behind the thick bushes.

The sound of yells and clashes of metal against metal broke out soon afterwards, telling her that the fight had commenced between her clone and Shinozuka. She knew that it would not last long, for her particular skill set usually did not fare well with those of Shinozuka's abilities. Her expertise on close-ranged battles would not help since her opponent would expect her to come close, and would do everything to prevent it.

Which meant that she would have to resort to wind jutsu.

The moment her clone dispersed, feeding her with the images of the quick fight between them, Sakura formed the seals for her jutsu.

"Fuuton: Sakura Chirimai!"

Wind vortex with swirling pink flowers exploded outwards, confusing anyone who had the misfortune of being close by and limiting the visual range around the area. Knowing that she did not have a lot of time, Sakura slipped out of her hiding place and sped forward, where she felt the pulse of her opponent's presence, charging her own limbs with chakra as she ran.

The moment she caught sight of a flash of skin, she swung her fist forward.

A satisfying thud reverberated back along her arm, followed by a vitriolic curse before the man went flying through the air, stopping only when he hit a tree trunk.

By now, her whirlwind of pink petals had settled on the ground, allowing her to clearly see his sneer as he got to his feet. He was clutching his left shoulder, which seemed dislocated, she noted with satisfaction.

"You're really a pain," he hissed accusingly.

"You brought this upon yourself," she shot back as she darted close, intending to land another blow.

But her fist never connected.

At least, not against solid flesh. Instead, she hit thin air where Shinozuka should be standing and went flying forward with her momentum. When she finally got a grip on her footing, it was to turn around to find the other shinobi gone.

"Oh, hell," she breathed out.

The very subtle tingling against her skin confirmed her suspicion. Most shinobi would not be able to tell, but her role as a medic nin had made her very sensitive to chakra in every form, and this particular tingling she was currently experiencing told her that she was surrounded by Shinozuka's genjutsu.

"Kai!"

Nothing changed.

Gritting her teeth in concentration, she focused harder and called out again, "Kai!"

Her surroundings seemed to waver slightly, but that was all.

Then, a disembodied voice echoed around her, "I'm known as a genjutsu specialist for a reason, Sakura. Such a basic dispelling technique won't work against this layered genjutsu."

"Come out and face me, you coward!" she snarled, taking slow steps in a circular motion, looking for a weakness in the illusion. "Hiding behind a genjutsu like this? Are you afraid of a little fight?" she taunted.

"We're shinobi. Surely it is acceptable to use a little illusion to confuse one's opponent," the disembodied voice returned.

She hissed when an invisible whip snapped around her, slashing a red line on her arm. It stung, but the next one stung worse. She tried to move away, but the genjutsu was such that the whip attacks followed her. There was no way to avoid it because it was all in her mind.

"Too bad I can't harm you too badly," Shinozuka commented, his voice still echoing around the illusionary space.

"And why not," she ground out as she gritted her teeth against another painful lash of whip.

"You're needed… well and live."

"Needed where?" she threw back. "Whom are you working for?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"Well, if that's the case…" she muttered, charging chakra to her legs.

With a violent stomp of her chakra-enhanced foot, she sent cracks radiating outwards from where she stood. The force sent the very ground itself heaving upwards, throwing up chunks of soil and rock high in the air.

And the genjutsu dissipated.

As the debris from her decimation of the ground crashed to the ground around them, she could see Shinozuka in the distance, picking himself up from the rubble. Her move had broken his concentration, destroying his carefully woven genjutsu.

But there was no time to waste now.

Her hands came together again.

"Fuuton: Kaze Shuriken!"

Shuriken imbued with chakra flew from her hands. They spun swiftly with invisible, lethal air blades towards the purple-haired shinobi. Sensing the danger, he immediately went on the defensive, calling forth an earth wall that surged from the ground to block the attack.

Unperturbed, she charged forward at that wall.

"Fuuton: Kamaitaichi!" she yelled.

Wind imbued with chakra whirred around her hand and she drove her fist into the earth wall. It immediately shattered, the wind-enhancement blowing the particles of earth away almost immediately to reveal the shinobi beyond.

"Not too bad," he said as he sidestepped her chakra-enhanced kick.

Not giving in to the veiled insult, she followed with a punch, only to find her opponent disappearing in a puff of smoke when her fist connected with his body.

"A clone," she hissed.

Her eyes darted left and right, her stance betraying her wariness. Shinozuka was the typical sneak attack shinobi, unlike her own style, and she had hated fighting with him during training sessions. Now, it was even worse, for he was not holding back at all. She had to admit that while she was a good ANBU, her primary skill was still a medic, which meant that compared to someone like Shinozuka, who had trained for the sole purpose of killing one's opponent, she was at a slight disadvantage in this battle.

Furthermore, the use of those wind jutsu had drained her considerably, and she would have to make the next couple of attacks count if she wanted to stand a chance of taking him down.

He made his move so suddenly that she was almost pinned by her arm to a nearby tree. Fortunately, she managed to dart to the side swiftly enough to avoid such a fate. However, she was not fast enough to avoid his kunai cutting through the flesh of her upper arm.

Hissing at the pain, she rolled away into a shadowed bush, hiding her chakra. She had to fight hard to control her breathing, trying to ignore the slicing pain in her bleeding arm. She would heal it, but if she did that, he would take the opportunity to attack.

It was in the forefront of her mind to call forth the power of the Shinjutama again, but she remembered what it had been like the last time. Each time she had used it, the backlash of unconsciousness grew longer and longer. It was clearly affecting her adversely.

No, she would not rely on them. She would try to defeat this bastard without the extra boost.

Gritting her teeth, she charged her fist with chakra and was about to leap out at her target when she felt a strange humming sensation around her wrist under her gloves.

She did not have the time to think of what it could be, for at the next moment, crows burst into the air around her suddenly, blinding her from her surroundings. The stiff black feathers brushed her exposed neck and hands as she tried to shield her face from their erratic movements. Confusion surrounded her while she wondered if this was another genjutsu.

And that was when she felt herself being sucked up into space.

Weightless darkness surrounded her, and for a while, she saw nothing, felt nothing.

Then it all came crashing back.

Her eyes opened, and then widened.

"What the hell?" she breathed out disbelievingly, not daring to move a muscle.

It was dark, pitch black in fact. She felt as if she was floating on nothingness, surrounded by the endless black space. However, unlike the earlier void, there was now this unrelenting pressure around her, something that she felt she would suffocate in if she was not careful. It was unnerving, and she did not know what to make of it. Was this another one of Shinozuka's genjutsu? It had to be, because this could not possibly be real.

Which meant that she was in serious trouble this time unless she could use her inner self to force her way back up to reality.

She was about to do so when something else entered the endless space. Another presence.

She held her breath.

"Haruno."

Her name rumbled and echoed in the space, making the fine hair at the back of her neck stand up. Automatically, her body tensed in preparation for a battle, though at the back of her mind, she kept telling herself that this was not real.

"What is this?" she hissed.

"Do not move. You'll be transported once more."

The voice was clearer this time. Recognition dawned, and she gasped in surprise. "I-Itachi?"

No verbal answer came, but that feeling of being sucked in somewhere enveloped her again. This time, she let out a short shriek of horror. She did not know what was happening and it was beginning to really scare her.

The dark pressure around her intensified momentarily before it eased completely, giving way to something much less oppressive.

Sakura heard herself land with a muffled thud, and she groaned at the rough impact on her backside.

This time, when she opened her eyes, it was glaringly bright. So bright especially after all that darkness that she could not see anything but swimming shadows against white.

"Sakura!"

"Haruno!"

She blinked in recognition at the voices, and then her vision cleared to reveal the two men standing over her. "Shikamaru? Morino-san?"

Shikamaru ran his eyes over her assessingly. "You okay?"

She nodded, wincing as she stood up unsteadily. "Where-" She broke off when she saw the third occupant of the room.

Itachi was seated cross-legged at the end of the room, within a circle of seals. His eyes were closed, as if he was deep in some jutsu. The furrows under his eyes were more pronounced from the strain. The swirl of energy around him was almost palpable, and it served to remind her of what a powerful shinobi he was.

"W-What's going on?"

And then it hit her.

"He brought me back here?" she asked disbelievingly. That was simply not possible. "All the way from the border?"

"Aa," Shikamaru answered. "It's some space-time jutsu. It's the only way considering the situation. He had it all planned from the start."

"I don't get it… what plan?"

"Later, Haruno," Morino interjected roughly as he strode closer to the Uchiha, clearly concerned. "This is not the time for all these questions."

Sakura clamped her mouth shut.

"Where is Shinozuka when you left?" Shikamaru asked.

"I don't know. We were fighting. He's a traitor. He's the one who killed all those ANBU months ago."

"We know," Ibiki grunted.

Sakura blinked. "What? How did you know about Shinozuka?"

"What condition is he in?"

"I injured him mildly, but not enough to stop him from fighting."

Then she almost fell over in shock when Itachi's crimson eyes flew open suddenly. Her heart raced at the unmistakable threat in those eyes, telling her that whatever he was dealing with at the other end was seriously in danger of being decimated.

"Be prepared."

And that was all he said before he hid those dangerous orbs from view once again.

She turned to Shikamaru, worried now. "What did he mean?"

"He's trying to bring Shinozuka back here."

Her eyes widened. "Using that space-time jutsu again?" This was some monumental technique, transporting fully-grown shinobi across such a wide distance. How on earth could Itachi manage it _twice_?

Shikamaru nodded. "Questions later, okay?" He gestured to her injured form. "Heal yourself now. We might need your help soon."

"Can't. I'm a little low on chakra." And she wanted to conserve as much as she could just in case Itachi needed it.

"Get yourself to the hospital then, Haruno," Ibiki instructed.

She immediately protested, "No. I'll stay."

Suddenly, Itachi jerked, as if he had received a blow. His brows knitted together, even though his eyes remained shut. Sakura bit her lips worriedly as a tremble ran through his body.

"Something is wrong," Shikamaru muttered, his brows furrowing.

Too alarmed to stay still by now, Sakura shot forward towards the sitting shinobi.

"Haruno!" Ibiki called out urgently.

But she ignored him. Instead, she placed her own glowing hands over Itachi's back, careful not to make any physical contact with him because it might affect his jutsu. With the last of her chakra, her medical technique took hold, probing his system subtly to assess his condition.

When she pulled back, her jaw was clenched.

"What, Sakura?"

"His chakra level is depleting fast." She grimaced. "Too fast."

Ibiki looked thoughtful. "We can't pull him out halfway through the jutsu. There's no telling what it will do to him."

"Then what?" she asked, desperation creeping into her voice. "Is this even supposed to happen?"

"Shinozuka must be putting up a fight at the other end," Shikamaru surmised.

"We got to do something."

Shikamaru grimaced. "We need to trust him."

Just as he said it, Sakura saw Itachi tense. The grooves under his eyes deepened, as if he was concentrating even harder. She hated the feeling of helplessness she was currently feeling. She hated _knowing_ that he was putting himself at risk like this, and none of them could do anything to help.

Then, suddenly, Shinozuka Aoi appeared with a bright flash, stumbling and rolling to the end of the room where he hit the wall, stopping still there.

Unconscious.

Stunned, Sakura could only stare.

Then she turned to the Uchiha.

Only to gasp in alarm when he began to topple to his side.

She reached him just in time to stop him from hitting his head on the floor.

She immediately slid into medic mode. A quick scan of his body with her glowing palms was enough to scare her. His chakra was non-existent and his pulse was erratic. From what she could tell from her brief scan, his body seemed to be shutting down to compensate for the overstrain.

Even as she began to feed healing chakra into him, she knew that she did not have enough to help him. Her body shaking in fear, she looked up at the other two.

"We need a medic. Now."

000

* * *

000

A muted groan escaped Itachi's lips as he opened his eyes to the bright glare of the afternoon sun streaming through the window. Scanning his surrounding quickly, he noted that he was in one of Konoha's hospital rooms.

He tried to sit up, but found it more difficult than he had anticipated. His mind had the time to register the weakness suffusing his entire body before the door to his room opened to admit a medic. It was Rin.

"Uchiha-san. You need to lie down."

Having no choice but to obey, Itachi relaxed back onto the mattress. "How long have I been here?"

Rin glanced at the window as she placed her glowing hands on his torso. "About a day and a half."

He nodded once, and then fell silent as he allowed the medic to work.

Trying to ignore the slight twinge of disappointment that the medic was not Sakura.

Once Rin had finished with her inspection, she straightened and told him, "You're not quite there yet, so you'll have to stay here a few more days at least. The chakra exhaustion was quite severe." Then she gave him a stern look. "What were you thinking? You should know better than to overexert like that," she scolded.

He decided that it was best not to answer.

With an exasperated huff, Rin walked to the door, throwing over her shoulders, "Make sure you rest. We'll check on you periodically."

And then she left the room.

As much as the idea of the pending prolonged stay was beginning to grate on him, Itachi understood that he had to remain until he was fully recovered. He did not need the medics to tell him the consequences of chakra depletion.

His over-exertion had served the purpose, however. Shinozuka Aoi had been apprehended and Sakura was presumably safe now.

A knock on the door sounded a while later, interrupting his thoughts. It was rather unfortunate, for he was never too keen on receiving visitors while he was in this vulnerable state. A little reluctantly, he called for the visitor to enter. When the door opened, it was to reveal the slouching figure of the Shichidaime Hokage.

"Hokage-sama," he greeted quietly.

Inclining his head in acknowledgement, Hatake Kakashi shut the door behind him and stepped closer, stopping only when he reached the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"As well as could be expected."

The corner of Kakashi's eye creased. "Ah, seeing that you're stuck in the hospital, huh? I was told you have to stay a few more days for monitoring."

"Hm."

"Don't worry. You'll be out before you know it."

Itachi doubted that the Shichidaime would say the same if he was the one in the hospital bed. He could recall the stories he had heard about the Copy-Nin's notorious escapes from the hospitals during his days in ANBU.

Striding to the window, Kakashi looked out momentarily, and then turned to him. "Well done on the success of your mission. It was very well executed."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," he returned politely.

Kakashi moved closer to the bed. "So this is it, huh?"

Not entirely certain what the Hokage was referring to, Itachi raised an inquiring brow.

"You have completed your task," Kakashi explained casually. "The terms of the agreement have been fulfilled. You may collect your payment whenever you wish."

"Aa," Itachi acknowledged. So _that_ was what he was referring to. He had originally been asked to return to Konoha to assist in apprehending the assassin. And now that the task was complete, he was free to leave Konoha once again.

It was just that when he had accepted the terms of the agreement in the first place, he had been more focused on reconciliation with Sakura. He had no doubt that he would successfully complete the assignment, but the question had always been what he would do with Sakura. But now that Sakura was no longer a viable option, he truly did not see a reason to remain in Konoha.

"So what's your plan now?" Kakashi asked, cutting into his thoughts.

Itachi found himself answering, "I haven't decided yet."

"Stay in Konoha."

Surprised by those words, Itachi only blinked at him.

"You deserve it, after everything you've done for this village," Kakashi told him. "Besides, you have some unfinished business here."

"Such as?"

Kakashi's visible eye became hooded. "Hm… You know about one, but probably not about the other."

Clearly intrigued now, Itachi asked, "Perhaps you wish to clarify your words, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi chuckled. "No, I don't believe I will. You'll find out sooner or later, anyway. The truth has a way of catching people unguarded."

Itachi was not certain he liked the sound of that and it must have shown, because the Hokage shook his head reassuringly.

"It's not anything too horrifying, I think."

That was not encouraging at all, Itachi thought. Still, the Hokage clearly had no intention of expanding upon what he knew, so it would be pointless to push.

"So, what do you think?" Kakashi raised a brow. "About staying, I mean?"

Carefully, he responded, "I suppose it depends on what this unfinished business is."

"Aa. You're right." Sounding regretful, Kakashi said, "I'm afraid it's not my place to divulge the information to you, much as I would like to."

"Then whose place it is?" Itachi returned immediately.

"I think you know."

Itachi averted his eyes.

Sakura.

Was she keeping something else from him apart from her relationship with the Kazekage? Something sank in the pit of his stomach, making him feel acutely uncomfortable. Did she distrust him so much that she felt that it was necessary to keep so many secrets from him?

"Have a bit of faith, eh, Uchiha?"

Itachi glanced up at the Hokage to find him smiling under his mask. "Faith," he echoed.

"Yes. Once in a while, people have to take a leap of faith. Wonderful things can happen."

Not knowing how to respond to the Shichidaime's rather vague words, Itachi only responded with a, "Hm."

Smirking now, Kakashi strode to the door. "Rest well, Uchiha."

And without another word, the Hokage exited the room, leaving Itachi to ponder upon his words.

000

* * *

000

It was late in the afternoon, one and a half days after she had been yanked through space using some high level jutsu all the way from the border back to Konoha. Her body still felt out of sorts, somewhat like she was on edge. It was most probably due to the jutsu, but she admitted that it could be something else altogether.

At that very thought, her eyes slid out of the kitchen window toward the hospital building across the apartment complex.

He should be awake by now. Because if he wasn't, someone would have come here to inform her of that fact, as per her instruction. Even though she was not his medic, that did not mean that she could not keep an eye on him from afar.

The rapid pitter-patter of footsteps against the floor interrupted her thoughts.

"Okaa-san! Are they done yet?"

Sakura glanced down at her son, who practically had his nose pressed flat to the oven door.

"You will burn your nose, Ryo-chan!" she scolded. "And no, they are not done."

Ryo straightened, eyeing the contents of the oven longingly. "How long more?"

She glanced at the timer and then at the chocolate chip cookies inside the oven. "A few more minutes."

"I'll be back!"

Without further ado, he rushed back to his room, where Minato was waiting for him. Naruto had dropped by with his son this morning, since Hinata had some urgent Hyuuga clan business to handle and he had to go run some errand for Kakashi. She wondered if Naruto had realized by now that these errands were some sort of training for his pending takeover from Kakashi.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, she once again thought over what Naruto had told her about Itachi. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that what the council had ordered Itachi to do was unjustified. How could they? To them, Itachi was just a tool, someone to be used. They did not care that he would have no family after that, or that he could no longer call Konoha a home until he was pardoned.

But the fact Itachi was now walking freely in Konoha must mean that he had been pardoned, right? Kakashi must have known about this, or else how could he justify allowing Itachi back? In that case, why had Kakashi not exposed the truth to everyone?

A sharp 'ding' rang through the air, interrupting her thoughts, telling her that the cookies were done.

She crossed the short distance between the kitchen table and the oven, and with padded mitts, took the two trays of chocolate chip cookies out. Carefully, she set the trays down on the wooden kitchen table.

A second later, two pairs of little feet scampered into the kitchen.

"It's ready!" Minato cried out excitedly.

"Wait! They are very hot!" Sakura warned as the children began to reach for the cookies.

Whines of objection greeted her, but they stood back obediently, albeit reluctantly. Rolling her eyes, she began to fan the cookies for a while before nodding at them to go ahead.

"Thank you, Okaa-san!"

"Thank you, Sakura-san!"

"Leave the other tray, okay?" she told them, in the attempt to stop them from eating everything.

She watched with a smile on her face as they proceeded to crunch through the cookies enthusiastically. The two of them loved sweets, but both she and Hinata agreed that they should be given the treat in moderation only.

Strangely enough, this little scene reminded her of the time Itachi told her that he liked sweets.

And in turn, it made her wonder what Ryo would think of the fact that his father had a sweet tooth as well. In fact, ever since they had met, she had often wondered how Ryo would take the news that the shinobi he so looked up to was actually his father. In all these years, the boy had never asked her about the identity of his father, strangely enough, so she could not even guess how he would take it.

Turning away to leave the children to it, she made her way to the living room and went outside onto the balcony. The sight of the hospital building seemed to be nudging her. She had to find an opportunity to speak to Itachi soon, to clear the air. There were so many misunderstandings between them.

"Yo."

Sakura jumped, startled. And then she spun around to meet a single creased eye and an outline of a smirk under a mask and a body perched on the balcony railing at the far end.

"Hokage-sama," she greeted through clenched teeth, irritated that he had caught her unawares. "Do you make it a habit nowadays to scare your shinobi?"

The creases at the corner of his eye deepened as he leapt off the railing. "Only when my shinobi is careless enough not to watch her back."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm in Konoha, on my own balcony. How much danger am I in, exactly?"

"True, true. And why, may I ask, are you standing here?" He peered over the edge exaggeratedly. "Anything interesting I should know about?"

"No," she replied shortly.

He blinked once, and then his visible eye shot in the direction of the hospital building. "Ah, I see. Thinking about someone in that hospital, if I'm not mistaken."

"Don't you have paperwork to do, Hokage-sama?" she asked in an overly sweet voice. "I thought you're forever complaining about being busy."

He waved a dismissive hand. "Paperwork can wait."

"You're worse than Tsunade-sama," she muttered disbelievingly.

Kakashi beamed at her. "Good."

Sakura merely grunted.

"Ah, that reminds me."

"What?"

"You said you wanted to participate in the interrogation, right?"

Sakura's eyes flickered as her expression sharpened. "He's ready for interrogation."

"Aa."

"When?"

"Now."

She glanced back into her apartment. "What about Ryo and Minato?"

Kakashi jerked his head downwards, and Sakura peered over the balcony railing to find a beaming Sai waving at her. It looked as if he was stuck with babysitting duties again.

000

* * *

000

Their footsteps echoed subtly through the subterranean tunnel that led to the secure holding cells under Konoha. The surrounding was damp and unpleasant, but that was to be expected. Not many people knew of this route that ran from just behind the administration building right to the secure entrance of the holding cells, after all. In fact, it was one of the few things that survived Pein's attack, buried as deep as it was.

Idly, Kakashi made a note to increase the security of this particular tunnel. It would not do to have escaping prisoners running straight to the administration building. That would be considered a major security hazard since no one was really guarding this entrance because not many knew about it.

Sakura was one of the exceptions.

He flicked a glance sideways to find the pink-haired kunoichi striding purposefully along the damp tunnel floor. When she had found out that they meant to interrogate Shinozuka Aoi once he regained consciousness, she had been adamant about being present, which had led to his little visit to her earlier. It was a good thing that they had delayed the interrogation until today, then, because at least the kunoichi had some time to rest.

"Are you sure you want to be here, Sakura?"

Beside him, the pink-haired kunoichi nodded as she walked alongside. "It has something to do with me and the Shinjutama, obviously, since he went through all that trouble to kidnap me."

"Yes. That's rather worrying."

"But at least now we know there's a possible connection between him and the masked shinobi. Too much of a coincidence otherwise."

"Possibly."

Sakura's eyes narrowed in ire. "And I want to know what he has to say for himself."

Kakashi eyed the kunoichi assessingly. She did not look all too good, but then again, she had just been through a battle and then been pulled through space with the space jutsu Itachi had come up with. The lacerations that had decorated her body when she had returned were gone, healed by her own hands, but there were dark shadows under her eyes and her complexion was paler than usual. However, her eyes glinted with determination.

Kakashi made a mental note to himself that it was best to keep Sakura out of physical contact with their prisoner. In the mood she was in, there was no telling what she would do to the traitor.

Especially considering how distraught she was at the fact that a certain Uchiha was still recovering in the hospital. Sakura had been near panicked when they had called Rin to the observation room to tend to the Uchiha one and a half days ago.

Speaking of the Uchiha, perhaps it was time to give Sakura another nudge.

"Sakura?"

"Hm."

"How's Uchiha Itachi?"

She winced visibly, looking worried. "He was still unconscious when I left yesterday. If everything goes well, he should be awake today."

So she had not been to see him then. "Have you told him yet?" he asked mildly.

Sakura tensed but she kept on walking. "What are you talking about, Sensei?"

He expelled a heavy breath, disappointed with her continued avoidance. "Really, Sakura. I'd never pegged you down as a coward."

She halted abruptly, spinning towards him. "I'm not a coward!" she defended heatedly.

"Then why don't you tell Itachi the truth?" he returned calmly, facing her. "And while you're at it, I need to know the truth as well. I don't appreciate you keeping such an important fact from me. I can pull rank and order you to tell me, but I prefer you to volunteer the information."

Her cheeks reddened, and she looked away. "What do you know?" she asked softly.

"I'm only guessing, Sakura. But I need you to confirm the facts."

Her chin dropped lower, her eyes downcast. "About Ryo's father, I presume?"

Finally, Kakashi thought. "Aa."

She exhaled loudly, her shoulders sagging. "I think you already know."

"Tell me."

Sakura did not look at him when she breathed out in resignation, "It's him. It's Itachi."

"Now that wasn't that bad, was it?" Kakashi pointed out gently.

She gave a baleful look. "I guess."

Smiling slightly, he continued to walk again. Sakura followed beside him silently, no doubt thinking over her revelation to him. She must have questions, now that the truth was out in the open.

"So, what now, Sensei?"

He slid a sideways glance at her, but did not stop walking when he replied, "About Ryo, you mean?"

She nodded.

No matter how he worded it, it would sound bad. Carefully, he ventured, "The Uchiha bloodline belongs in Konoha. Despite everything that had happened in the past, without the Uchiha, there would be no Konoha."

She gave him a nod. "You're saying you want Ryo to remain in Konoha."

"With his mother." He gave her a pointed look before he added, "And his father."

She grimaced then. "Gaara wouldn't like it. Besides, I don't know how Itachi will take this."

"You wouldn't know until you tell both Gaara and Itachi the truth."

"Gaara already knows."

Kakashi was surprised, and perhaps a little put out that Sakura seemed to trust the Kazekage more than him. "When did he find out?" he asked.

"Just before we left Suna."

"And he allowed you to take Ryo?" Kakashi asked, a little bewildered. "He must realize that once Ryo's parentage is known, the boy would be expected to stay in Konoha. And come to think of it, I don't know how long more you expect to hide this from everyone. Considering Ryo's skills, it is only a matter of time before he manifests the Sharingan."

Sakura sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I tried not to think about it too much. Maybe I thought that if he stays in Suna, it would be okay."

"The Suna nins recognize the Sharingan, Sakura," Kakashi pointed out dryly. "I doubt they would simply ignore it."

She ran her hands through her hair, clearly frustrated. "I don't know, okay. I wasn't really thinking."

Clearly, Kakashi thought with exasperation.

"So, when are you telling Itachi?"

Sakura hissed, and then turned away from him to stare at the end of the tunnel.

"Sakura?" he prompted in a grave tone, telling her that he was being serious.

She sighed heavily before turning back to him. "I'm trying, Kakashi-sensei," reverting back to her old name for him. "But it's not easy to broach the subject."

"Why?"

"I think he…" She inhaled deeply as if to calm herself before she continued, "I think he has… lost interest… in me."

"Aa." So that was what this was about.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't think he has lost any interest in you, if you ask me," he pointed out. "But he has made all the moves so far, so maybe it's your turn."

She glanced away uncomfortably, clearly knowing that he was right. "I know, Sensei."

His tone was gentler than usual when he said, "Look, Sakura. It's probably time for the truth to come out." And then he added pointedly, "On both sides."

She was still frowning slightly, but she nodded.

It would have to do for now, however, since it was time for them to cease this line of conversation, for the end of the tunnel was now visible. As important as Sakura was to him, he had to put this pending interrogation first.

When they reached the security grills at the end of the tunnel, Kakashi gestured to it. "Go ahead, Sakura."

He watched as Sakura undid the complicated seals which allowed the grilled gate to swing open. It was something that she had learnt to do in her days as Tsunade's apprentice. When the late Godaime required information from detainees, Sakura had been the one sent to retrieve it most of the time.

Once past the gates, they continued down further until they reached an area secured by genjutsu. From the other side, it would seem that he and Sakura had materialized from thin air, which explained Yamanaka Inoichi's stunned expression when they appeared.

"Hokage-sama," the blond man greeted. "When did you get here?"

"Just a second ago."

Kakashi followed Sakura's gaze to the familiar shinobi strapped to the wall with chakra-enhance shackles. Both his arms and legs were restrained, and there were even bands around his torso. No one was taking any chances with this one escaping. He had to pay for his crimes.

Tilting his head, Kakashi studied the holding cell's latest occupant. Some prisoners were the scared, shaking type while the others were the mutinously aggressive type. Of course there were the occasional calm, silent ones, but those were in the minority these days. Shinozuka Aoi did not seem scared at all. In fact, the man was clearly in the aggressive category, for he sneered derisively at their approach.

"So it's you," Kakashi remarked mildly, not displaying his anger and disappointment at the fact that one of his trusted ANBU was the assassin after all. "Surprising."

Shinozuka's eyes glinted. "Is it so?"

Ignoring his question, Kakashi asked, "So, why did you do it? Why kill your comrades?"

"Why not?" Shinozuka returned callously.

"You bastard!" Sakura snarled, jerking forward only to be halted by his hand.

The urge to simply slam the man against the stone wall behind him rose within Kakashi, but he tamped it down. "Don't be rash, Sakura. He's not worth dirtying your hands."

Sakura seethed but she stood back, glaring at the still-sneering detainee.

Turning to Inoichi, Kakashi asked, "Any luck with the interrogation?"

The obviously disgruntled jounin shook his head. "He has some kind of mental block that disrupts the interrogation jutsu."

"Block, huh?" Kakashi murmured thoughtfully

"Hokage-sama, let me check on something," Sakura suggested.

Having an idea of what Sakura suspected from the look on her face, Kakashi nodded, "Go ahead."

At this, Shinozuka tensed almost imperceptibly.

"Got your attention finally, Shinozuka?" Kakashi asked mildly, watching as Sakura approached the prisoner.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shinozuka hissed.

Sakura gave him a mocking smile. "I think you know, Shinozuka."

He jerked back as Sakura ran her glowing hands over his body, but the way he was restrained made it impossible to avoid her searching motions. Kakashi could see that she was being thorough, and would no doubt find what she was searching for soon.

His thoughts were confirmed when Sakura finally looked up, giving him a triumphant look.

"Found it, Hokage-sama. There is an irregularity just here at the left side of his head," she told him, gesturing to a spot right beside the man's temple.

Kakashi could see from Shinozuka's expression that Sakura had found it.

"Then you'd better remove it so that Inoichi can continue the interrogation," he told her.

Eyes gleaming with anticipation, Sakura nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

000

* * *

000

Two days.

It had taken two days to finish interrogating Shinozuka Aoi. He had a bad reaction to the extraction of the Shinjutama fragment from his temple, the reason for the mental block, which meant that he had remained unconscious for one whole day afterwards. The moment they were certain that he was fit to be questioned, he had been strapped back onto the wall.

The session had not been pleasant. Shinozuka had been resistant, but it was not enough against Yamanaka Inoichi's interrogation jutsu. What he had revealed was alarming, but before he could go into detail, something else had interfered.

Right before their eyes, Shinozuka Aoi had died, choking on his own blood which seemed to have bubbled up from his lungs without any provocation. Despite her frequent encounters with blood in every form, she had still found the sight quite sickening.

Kakashi had not been pleased that they had not managed to get all the information they required. But at least they now knew that they had another enemy out there.

The question was, what were they going to do about it?

It was with that conclusion that Sakura had excused herself to return home after spending the whole day at the interrogation center.

A warm shower later, she was seated on the couch in her living room, nursing a warm cup of tea in her hands as she enjoyed the final rays of sun for the day. As usual, her eyes flicked at the outline of the hospital building beyond, reminding her of a certain ANBU captain.

Kakashi was right. It was time that the truth came out, no matter how nervous she felt about it. She had wanted to tell him the before the mission, but he had brushed her off. And now, he was resting in the hospital and she was not sure that she should really reveal something like this to him in such a public place. She knew from experience that news travel incredibly fast in the hospital via the gossip network.

Regardless, she had promised herself that she would tell him. Now that she knew the circumstances behind the Uchiha massacre, she was pretty certain that he was not the cold-blooded villain she had stupidly made him out to be. He would not hurt Ryo, and so, the fair thing to do would be to tell him the truth. What he wanted to do after that worried her, but she decided that she would deal with it when it came to that.

Sighing out loud, she turned around to walk back into her apartment building. It was empty except for her. Ryo had left with Sai this morning for 'training'. She wondered what the ink-user was teaching him. Hopefully it was not something too dangerous.

Quickly rinsing her cup in the kitchen sink, she placed it on the drainer and walked out of the apartment.

Her shoulders set with determination, she took purposeful strides towards the hospital. The sun was already setting, but since there was no set visiting hours, she knew that she would not encounter much trouble accessing the patient.

Not long afterwards, she was walking down the busy hallway of the hospital, trying to keep out of the way of the busy medical staff. However, despite her good intentions, she still managed to bump into someone, sending a stack of files crashing to the floor amidst gasps of horror.

"Rin!" she called out in recognition as she knelt down to help gather the files. "Sorry about this."

The older woman straightened with an armful of the files, and much to Sakura's surprise, there was a flash of guilt in her eyes. What was going on?

"Oh, hi, Sakura. No need to apologize. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Okay."

"See you later, alright?"

And with that, the other woman was gone.

Shaking her head slightly in bewilderment, Sakura continued on her way up the next floor, where a certain Uchiha was recovering. She clenched her hands spasmodically, trying not to let her nerves get the better of her as she drew closer and closer to his room.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of a nondescript white door.

Inhaling deeply, she raised a hand and knocked.

When his smooth voice filtered through the door, granting her permission to enter, Sakura opened the door and stepped in.

Itachi was resting on the bed, propped up by pillows. The white sheets were puddled at his waist, revealing his hospital gown covered torso. Her practiced eyes ran over his complexion, noting that he was paler than usual, which meant that he was not really at full strength yet. The jutsu must have taken a lot out of him.

"Hello," she ventured hesitantly.

Itachi looked at her for a long while, and then inclined his head.

Taking a deep breath, she shut the door behind her and walked all the way to his bedside, despite the lack of encouragement from him. There, she paused, wondering how she should even begin to broach the subject on her mind.

"How are you feeling?" she finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Weary," he replied.

"Chakra depletion usually causes that," she noted, rather lamely.

"Aa."

Another bout of silence befell them, and Sakura had to fight the urge to fidget on the spot. This was awfully uncomfortable, and she had not even begun broaching any personal topic yet.

Still, seeing how pale he was, paler than usual, that was, she once again wondered if this was really the right time to tell him. He was not in the best of conditions, and for all she knew, the extra stress of the news she wanted to impart to him might affect his recovery adversely.

Maybe she should tell him after his hospital stay. There was really no rush, right?

No, she really shouldn't delay it any longer.

It was too important.

Fiddling with the hem of her top, she began, "Look, things haven't really been going smoothly between us ever since you got back to Konoha."

He looked away to stare out of the window.

Trying not to feel discouraged by his blatant lack of interest, she pushed on, "And I think it's time we talked."

Itachi did not even move a muscle.

The moment she opened her mouth to continue, a series of knocks sounded on the door.

Sakura had to swallow a groan of defeat.

000

* * *

000

Itachi glanced up, relieved by the interruption. He knew that Sakura wanted to talk but he truly did not wish to rehash their past, knowing that there was nothing he could do about it now. It only drove the blade deeper, each time they spoke about it.

"Yes?" he called out.

The door creaked open and a mess of dark red hair came into view. Out of the corner of his eyes, Itachi saw Sakura gave her son a surprised look. "Ryo-chan?"

The previous tension that had been suffocating the room dissipated at the appearance of the boy.

"Okaa-san? Uchiha-san?" Ryo whispered from the door.

Itachi smiled slightly at the tentative way the boy was behaving, so unlike his usual exuberant self. "Ryo-kun," he returned, his eyes spotting the outline of Sai outside the door. The ANBU must have been assigned to look after the boy again. It was becoming a rather regular occurrence, in fact.

"Can I come in?" he whispered again.

"You may enter. Shut the door behind you."

Having gained permission, the boy stepped in and all but tiptoed to the side of the bed, smiling at his mother before he turned his attention to him. "Are you okay?" he asked in a whisper.

Itachi's lips quirked in amusement. "Why are you whispering?" he asked.

Ryo flicked a glance at his mother. "Okaa-san said not to talk loudly in the hospital."

"That's because the last time you did it, you woke up half the recovery ward," Sakura pointed out.

Ryo pouted.

"You may speak normally this time round, if you wish," Itachi told him. "There is no one else here."

The boy shook his head, sending his red hair whipping around his face. "No. The last time I did something bad in the hospital, I was punished," he finished by darting a wary look at his mother.

Itachi raised a brow. "Is that so? What did you do?" he asked curiously.

"Minato and I were visiting Naruto-Oji-san. He got hurt during a mission. Minato challenged me to a race to Oji-san's room, but before we reached, we were caught by Rin-san."

"She punished you?"

Ryo nodded vigorously. "Rin-san made me sit and look after the babies in the nursery upstairs."

Ah, so the threat of baby-sitting was what was required to keep Ryo in line. He snuck a glance at Sakura to find her lips twitching in amusement, no doubt thinking along the same lines.

"Oh, I forgot!" Ryo pulled out a crumpled card out of his pocket, thrusting it at him. "Here."

Itachi took it carefully. "What is this?"

"A card, of course." As if it was the most obvious answer. "Sick people get cards and flowers. I think cards are much better than flowers, though, because flowers die. Do you like it? Sai-san helped me make it."

Itachi nodded, agreeing fully with the boy.

"Open it!" Ryo urged excitedly.

A small smile stretched across his lips as Itachi opened it. His heart twisted when he saw the childish picture inside the card. Ryo would never make a living as an artist, based on this, but the intent of the picture was clear.

There were a stick figure with pink hair, one with red hair, and another with black hair. To ensure that there was no doubt as to the identity of the figures, Ryo had labeled the figures with their names in his untidy, childish scrawl. The background was colored in brown, and Itachi suspected that it might be the Suna training ground they had spent a couple of days in.

Ryo came close to him, so close that Itachi could detect the faint scent of chocolate milk on the boy's breath. He was practically perched at the edge of the bed, looking at the card he had made.

"Ryo-chan, don't disturb Uchiha-san."

"I just want to show him what's on the card, Okaa-san," the boy whined.

Itachi darted a look at the discomfited woman. "It's fine," he told her, before returning his attention to the redheaded boy who was now pointing at the drawing on the card.

"See, that's you, me and Okaa-san in Suna." Ryo grinned. "Remember?"

"Yes." How could he forget, Itachi thought as he ran his eyes over the sketch. Recalling that the boy was away from his home for a while now, he asked, "Do you miss Suna?"

"A bit." Ryo shrugged. "I like Suna. I like Konoha too. I don't really mind which one. I have family in both countries, so I'm very lucky."

"Yes, you're lucky indeed, Ryo." Itachi smiled slightly, almost a bittersweet one. "And so are your father and mother to have such an understanding son."

Ryo's face immediately scrunched in confusion. "Father?"

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath.

"Yes," Itachi returned slowly, a little puzzled by Sakura's and the boy's reaction. "Your father, the Kazekage."

This time, Sakura groaned out lout, running a hand down her face while Ryo blinked once, and then twice.

And then the boy promptly burst out in laughter.

"That's what all the silly people thinks!" Ryo remarked.

The boy's small form shook as he continued to laugh, despite Itachi's growing consternation. However, nothing would have prepared him for what Sakura said next.

"No. The Kazekage is not Ryo's father," Sakura said in a quiet voice.

Itachi felt something jolt within him. "Then who is?" he asked.

Sakura held his gaze as she revealed, "You are."

Ryo's laughter immediately ceased.

000

* * *

000

A/N: And the truth is finally out! Hope you've enjoyed that. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews you left for Chapter 12. Also for voting in the poll for my next story. It is closed now, but thanks for all your votes. Here's the next instalment, and I hope you'll like it. It's mainly Ita-Saku. And the next update will be delayed because I'm off on holiday with my parents, so there's no telling when I can find time to write.

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 13**

The silence was unbearable.

Her nerves fraying further by the second, she glanced at Itachi, whose shocked gaze had slid to and remained on Ryo since her announcement. He seemed to have been frozen to the spot, his eyes wide with disbelief and something else she could not quite name. Both father and son were staring at each other, sharing stunned looks.

Alright, perhaps a little subtlety would have helped with that announcement. Really, she had not intended for it to come up so abruptly, but Ryo's presence had accelerated matters. Now, it was too late to turn back.

Hoping that both father and son were actually listening, she continued before she could give in to the urge to run out of the room. "Ryo was conceived before I left Spring Country. I was already a couple of months pregnant when I ended up in Suna. I'm sorry I didn't tell either of you the truth."

Nothing but silence followed her words.

When Itachi finally managed to drag his eyes away from Ryo, the look he gave her made her heart wrench. It was full of confusion and perhaps some anger, not that she blamed him for it.

"Why keep this from me?" he asked tersely.

She closed her eyes, pained by his question. Then, realizing that Ryo probably should not be present for the fallout of this confession, she turned to her bewildered son.

"'Kaa-san?" he called out a little hesitantly. "Is it true? Is he really my father?"

She closed the gap between them, and then knelt down to give him a brief hug. "Yes, he is."

Ryo's face scrunched as he fell into another thoughtful silence.

Knowing that he would need some time to absorb the information, she gave him a reassuring smile. "Ryo-chan, why don't you go with Sai to visit Minato and Naruto-Oji-san?"

Ryo eyed her for a long while, and then flicked a tentative look at Itachi before turning a pair of worried green eyes back to her. "But-"

"I'll explain everything later, alright? Remember what I told you about adult conversations?" she asked gently.

Ryo nodded reluctantly, and then, slowly, left the room to join Sai.

Leaving her and Itachi in the suddenly far-too-small room. Without Ryo's presence, the silence seemed more oppressive, more suffocating.

Taking a deep breath, she sat down on the chair at the end of the room, needing the support. Across the room, Itachi was looking at her with an unreadable expression, something which did not bode well. Well, what else did she expect? She had just dropped such a big bombshell on him, after all.

"You have not answered my question."

"I will." Feeling horrible now, she told him, "I kept this from you because I didn't know about your past until last week. And before that, I assumed that you hold something against the Uchiha bloodline and that was your reason for killing all of them. It's the only thing that seemed to justify the massacre."

His eyes widened in comprehension. When Itachi spoke, his voice was strained. "So you thought I would harm him? My own son?"

"It sounds stupid now, but at that time, I really didn't know any better." She took a deep breath. "It's my fault for making assumptions. I'm sorry."

He averted his eyes, and it stung.

What was he thinking? It was too much to expect him to just accept everything with open arms after her deceit, but she did not want him to shun Ryo because of something she had done either. Somehow, she doubted that he would so something like that. He would not punish Ryo for something Ryo was not guilty of. Perhaps they could come to some kind of agreement where he could spend time with Ryo, if he wanted to, that was.

That was probably as much as she could hope for. At this point, it was unreasonable to hope that he would want to spend any time with her at all. Why should he?

His expression betrayed nothing, and that did not make her feel any better. In fact, she felt worse since he had seen fit to hide his response from her. It was a clear sign of his distrust of her, not that she blamed him for it. She had not done anything to encourage him to have any faith in her in the first place. Instead, she had steadily killed all the trust that had ever existed between them.

And now, she was wordlessly asking him to take a leap of faith and believe that she really was sorry for what she had done.

When the silence dragged on, Sakura grew more anxious. He was now staring contemplatively at his clasped hands, which were resting on his lap. It was difficult to read him at the best of times, but now, it was impossible.

"Itachi?" she finally ventured.

He looked up then, and her heart wrenched when she saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. "You need to see to Ryo."

She blinked at his unexpected words. "W-What?" she sputtered.

He inclined his head in the direction of the door. "I'm certain he will have questions for you. He was clearly surprised by the news earlier."

She almost winced at the mild censure in his tone. Even though it was pointless to think about it now, she knew that she shouldn't have blurted the whole thing out so abruptly. But at that time, the whole situation seemed to be spiraling out of control anyway and she had not thought to stop to think.

But Itachi was right. Ryo was probably still very confused after all that and it was best that she tended to him. She had said all she needed to say for now to Itachi, and perhaps, this was also his way of telling her that he needed to be alone to absorb the information. She owed him that much, at least.

So she nodded and stood up from the chair. "Alright."

Turning away, she walked to the door. Pausing with her hand on the handle, she said quietly, "If you have any questions about Ryo…" She hesitated before adding, "Feel free to ask."

"Hm."

Not knowing what else to say, she twisted the doorknob and let herself out.

000

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The moment he was certain that she had left, Itachi released a long breath of air and laid back on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

That was… unexpected.

He could still hardly believe that she had kept such a large secret for so long, because as far as he could discern, _no one_ knew the truth. Except the Hokage, who probably suspected something ever since he had returned to Konoha. Hatake Kakashi had always been more perceptive than others.

In fact, he still could not quite wrap his mind around the fact that Ryo was his son. After everything that had happened, after every rejection he had experienced, the last thing he had expected was to be told something like this.

He was Ryo's father.

A sensation of pride and possessiveness surged through him, completely beyond his comprehension. He had no right to feel that way since he had played no part in raising the child, who was clearly very special not only in shinobi terms but in personality as well. Sakura had done a good job raising Ryo.

Much better than he could, he was certain.

Still, it hurt that she had thought him capable of harming Ryo. Although her explanation made sense, he still felt troubled by it. The Uchiha massacre was real, and he had killed his relatives, young and old. Although it was an order from Konoha, it did not absolve him from any guilt. The assassination had still taken place, and he had been the one to execute the order.

He was still a murderer.

Some part deep inside him told him that he did not deserve a son, after what he had done. One who had taken so many lives, albeit with regret, surely did not deserve such a gift?

Then he paled when he recalled what she had said about being pregnant two months before she had ended up in Suna.

Which meant that she had been pregnant when Root had held and tortured her.

His breath left him with a loud hiss. It was a miracle that Ryo had survived such an ordeal. He ran a hand through his hair then, agitated at the notion that Ryo might not exist at all.

Why did Sakura put herself in so much risk? He recalled warning her to be careful then, but it had not been enough. Also, how could a medic like her be so ignorant about her own condition? Granted, she had been busy with ensuring that the Godaime recovered from her injury then, so perhaps she had been a little distracted.

Still, Sakura should have told him when she had found out that she was pregnant. She could have found a way to contact him, even though she was in Suna. There was no need for her to go through such a trying time without him by her side, especially since he was responsible for the state she had been in.

But then again, by then, she probably had made up her mind about him based on his reputation as a clan killer. Considering the circumstances, he supposed he could understand her motives for keeping such a thing from him. Still, her assumptions were flawed. He would not harm Ryo just because the Uchiha blood ran in the boy's veins.

Itachi had to admit that he was not blameless as well. The crime of making assumptions was something he was also guilty of. He had assumed too much about her and her relationship with others without actually confirming the truth with her. Furthermore, for the past couple of weeks, he had done nothing but avoid her and push her away.

If he had not done so, perhaps she would have told him the truth about Ryo once it became apparent that he had nothing against the Uchiha bloodline. In fact, she was probably attempting to tell him the truth when she had cornered him at the bridge. However, foolishly, he had brushed her away.

In the end, it came down to trust. They did not trust each other enough to be honest and open, and as a result, it had led to one misunderstanding after another.

Could the shattered trust between them ever be mended?

But the largest concern now was how he should proceed next.

000

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Sakura did not remember ever feeling so nervous before having a conversation with her son. In fact, she had been so nervous that she had spent half an hour in the nearby park just sitting, trying to regain some composure. Not that it had worked, of course.

Now, standing on the balcony of Naruto's apartment, she had to keep insisting to herself that things would be alright. Ryo was mature for his age, at times, and she could count on him to understand. Right?

But she could not help but think back on the confused expression on his face when he left the hospital room earlier. What had he been thinking? He had admired Itachi before this, but had this revelation changed things? It shouldn't, she knew, but this was a child she was talking about, and children could be unpredictable at the best of times.

She was still standing out there like a spineless coward when the frosted glass balcony door slid open to reveal a worried-looking Naruto. And when Naruto looked like that, there was usually trouble.

"What's wrong?" she asked urgently.

Naruto slid the door shut behind him before he said, "You're finally here." He ran a hand through his messy blond hair. "Sai brought Ryo over, but Minato is visiting his Hyuuga relatives with Hinata. So what's going on with Ryo? I'd never seen him mope before."

"Mope?" Oh, no. This was bad, she thought worriedly. "Where is he?"

"In the kitchen, thinking." Naruto frowned. "What happened?"

"Long story." She sighed. "I'd better see to him now. Tell you later, okay?"

Naruto looked reluctant, but he nodded. "Go, then."

Taking a deep breath, she slid the door open and walked into the living room. Sai was seated on the couch, sketching something and therefore, did not even bother to look up as she passed by. From there, she could see the kitchen door. She immediately made a beeline for it.

As Naruto had said, Ryo was there, slumped over the kitchen table as he doodled listlessly on a piece of white paper, no doubt provided by Sai earlier. He glanced up when she entered the kitchen, but otherwise did not move.

"Ryo-chan."

"Okaa-san," Ryo greeted dully.

"Want to go home?" she asked gently.

He nodded without his usual smile, worrying her further. Without a word, he got off the kitchen chair and made his way to the living room. Naruto was nowhere to be seen, so she guessed he must have gone out somewhere.

"Sai? I'm taking Ryo home," she told the ANBU.

Sai looked up. "I'm off duty?"

"Yeah."

He nodded and stood up.

Then, remembering what she had been meaning to tell her old teammate for a while now, she caught hold of his arm before he could walk pass. "Hey, Sai."

He looked questioningly at her.

"Thanks for watching over Ryo so often. I appreciate it."

Sai flashed one of his over-wide smile then. "It's quite interesting."

A little confused by his remark, she asked, "What's quite interesting?"

"I find children much easier to comprehend than adults."

Sakura blinked. "Oh."

And with that, the dark-haired ANBU waved at them and disappeared out of the balcony. Shaking her head at Sai's quirks, she took Ryo's hand and made her way out of Naruto's apartment, careful to lock the front door behind them and leave the spare key in one of the flowerpots outside.

The journey back home was made in silence, something which was almost unheard of for Ryo. Sakura only hoped that whatever Ryo had on his mind, it was something that she could reasonably explain.

Not long afterwards, they arrived home, just as the sun began to set and light drops of rain began to shower upon them.

Once in the privacy of their own living room, she gestured for her son to sit before taking up the space beside him. Almost immediately, Ryo slipped both his arms around her and wriggled onto her lap, snuggling his face into the base of her neck. At times like this, she was acutely reminded that he was still very young.

Stroking a hand down his back, just alongside the sheathed kodachi he carried everywhere with him, she told him, "Things always turn out okay, you know that, right?"

He mumbled against her.

She continued to stroke his back as she contemplated just how she was supposed to start this conversation. It had been easy to blurt out the truth, but she was clearly hopeless when it came to planning something intelligent to say.

"Ryo-chan, what are you thinking?" she finally asked.

"About what you said earlier."

She bit her lips, and then asked, "You're worried about it?"

"I don't want to be an Uchiha."

Sakura stilled at Ryo's quiet announcement, the motion of her hand halting as well. She expected questions about Itachi, but not such a thing. Surprise by his declaration, she asked, "Why?"

"They are cursed."

Now she was truly baffled. "Cursed? Why do you say that?"

"Everyone says the Uchiha clan is cursed, that they exchanged their life for power of the Sharingan. They were all killed because of that curse. And now, they are all gone except for Itachi-san. I suppose that means he didn't exchange his life for power. He's the only one living, so maybe he is just special." A brief pause followed before Ryo added, "But since he is my father, I have to take his name, and then I will be an Uchiha and I will be cursed."

She blinked at the explanation, not missing the fact that no one have told Ryo that Itachi had been the one who had killed his relatives. Instead, he had received the watered-down version most shinobi gave the young children of Ryo's age. Which was a good thing, she supposed.

And then her lips twitched when she realized what Ryo was more concerned about being cursed than anything else. In the usual fashion of children, he had come up with the most unexpected reaction to the news. Their concerns were usually not the same ones that bothered adults.

"I see."

At that point, he peeled away from her to give her a mutinous look, a look she understood well after his toddler tantrum years. In a firm voice, he declared stubbornly, "I don't want to be cursed so I don't want to be an Uchiha."

Knowing that some delicacy was required in handling this, she asked calmly, "What's the name on your birth certificate, Ryo?"

He flopped back forward to bury his face in her neck, muttering, "Haruno Ryokumori."

She leaned back slightly, straightening him so that they can see each other again. Once she caught his eyes, she told him, "There you go. You're Haruno Ryokumori, and no one will force you to change your name if that's not what you want."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

He ran his emerald eyes over her face, as if to make sure that she was serious. Evidently satisfied by what he had seen, he nodded and graced her with a tentative smile. "Okay."

"Are you alright now?"

He nodded, clearly brightening. "So, Itachi-san is really my father?"

"Yes."

"So you knew each other a _long_ time ago?"

Ryo made it sound as if it was _very_ long ago. Smiling inwardly, she nodded. "We were both in Spring Country many years ago."

His face scrunched then, thinking about something. "So why didn't he stay with us? He didn't want to be with us?" he finally asked.

"It's not like that, Ryo," she told him quickly. The last thing she needed was for Ryo to feel unwanted. "I left to hide in Suna, and he couldn't find me."

"But why didn't you bring him along when you left?"

Sakura sighed. This conversation was proving to be difficult, after all. "You remember sometimes ninja adopts alternate identities to keep themselves safe?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Hatsumoto-sensei explained that already."

"Good. So, at that time, your father was in civilian disguise."

Ryo's eyes rounded. "Oh, so that means he cannot follow you to Suna just like that. Or else his cover will be… blown?"

If only it was that easy. Resolved to tell Ryo the truth, she corrected, "Not quite. He disguised himself so well that even _I_ didn't know who he was. I really thought he was a civilian."

"Really?" Ryo whispered, clearly impressed.

Sakura nodded, hating the next part but knowing that she had to press on. "When I found out who he really was, we had a fight."

Ryo's expression dimmed. " A fight?"

"Well, we had words," Sakura amended. "I wasn't happy that he kept the truth from me, and after that, we separated."

Ryo said nothing to that.

"By the time I found out that I was pregnant with you, I was already in Suna, under protection," Sakura finished softly. "So anyone would find it hard to locate me by then."

"But you said earlier that by then, I was already… conceived?" he asked, frowning slightly at the unfamiliar word.

She felt a jolt of apprehension, hoping that this would not lead to a particular topic she had not touched upon yet with her son. It was too soon for that, surely. He was not even six yet.

So, a little warily, she responded, "Yes."

His brows furrowed further. "I asked Sai-san earlier about that. He explained, but I didn't really understand."

Her eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion. "What did Sai say to you?"

"He said that when a man and a woman… co-copulates?" He blinked slowly, uncertainly. "Is that the right word? That when a man and a woman copulates, babies can be conceived. Babies can be made."

The muscle in her jaw ticked. She would kill that socially clueless idiot. Couldn't he have just sidestepped the question? But then again, this was Sai. He would not even think of sidestepping such a question in the first place. To him, there was probably nothing wrong in Ryo asking such a thing and him answering it.

"Okaa-san? Is that right?"

Since it technically was right, she simply nodded. Best not to say too much at times like this.

Her son seemed to be satisfied for the moment, and then he muttered, "I didn't think it would be Itachi-san."

Feeling a little out of her depth, since they had never had this conversation before, she asked, "Who did you think it was?"

He shrugged, and then fell into silence as he snuggled more comfortably into her lap. Sakura decided not to say anything, allowing him to absorb the information in his time. She just hoped that all this was not too much for him.

A few minutes later, he broke the silence, "So what is going to happen now?"

She sighed. "I don't know, Ryo. I really don't know."

Another bout of silence befell them.

And then Ryo spoke up, "Kakashi-sama said once that if we don't know what to do, we should sleep on it." He nodded resolutely, as if fully convinced that such a thing would work. "So I'll go to bed now, Okaa-san."

Glancing at the clock, she asked, "Don't you want some dinner?"

He shook his head. "Naruto-Oji-san and I had some ramen earlier." Clambering off her lap, Ryo told her, "I'm going to bed now, Okaa-san. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she returned, albeit a little weakly.

When his room shut behind him with a subtle click, she sagged back onto the couch with a heavy sigh. She had not known what to expect from the conversation, but Ryo had surprised her with his apparent willingness to accept the situation. His only concern was the Uchiha name and the uncertainty of the future.

She supposed now she had to wait for Itachi to come to terms with the news. And then she had to worry about what to do.

Not wanting to keep dwelling on the situation, she decided that she should keep herself occupied. With that thought, she went to the kitchen and began to half-heartedly fix herself a light meal. The onigiri and soup went down her throat so quickly that she barely tasted anything as she sat at the kitchen table, staring out of the window through the rain.

Straight at the hospital.

Where Itachi was resting.

So much for not thinking about the situation, she thought with an inward snort as she warmed her hands against the hot cup of tea she had just made. It looked as if she would be spending the entire night tossing and turning, if this evening was any indication.

The sound of knocks on her front door brought her out of her contemplation.

Wondering who could it be at this time of the night, especially with their chakra suppressed like that, she made her way cautiously to the door and then opened it.

And found a thoroughly soaked Uchiha Itachi standing there against the backdrop of pouring rain in the evening sky.

000

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000

It was not comfortable, standing there in front of her apartment door, soaked to the skin from the heavy rain even though the hospital was only a short distance away.

However, all his discomfort paled into insignificance when he was faced with the surprised kunoichi before him. The first thing he noted what that she looked tired. The next thing he noticed, much to his surprise, was the flash of incredulity and anger in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped. "You're supposed to be recovering in the hospital."

This was not how he had anticipated this encounter to commence. In an even voice, he informed her, "I wish to speak to you."

"W-What?" she sputtered, and the pulling the door wide open, she urged, "Come in before you kill yourself out there. It's _raining._"

Her brusque concern was touching, and he allowed himself to smile slightly as he walked past her into the living room. He immediately scanned the area. His son, _his son_, Ryo was not there, which was hardly surprising since it was already late in the evening. He reached out with his senses and immediately noted another presence in the apartment. It must be Ryo, and considering the time, he was probably sleeping.

"Sit down and dry yourself up."

Itachi turned, sitting down on the couch just a moment before a heap of towel and blanket landed on his lap. She was fussing unnecessarily. Or perhaps she was simply doing this to delay the conversation she knew he had come for. But if this would put her at ease, he would humor her.

Besides, it was time that they rebuilt the trust between them, he thought as he rubbed the dry towel against his damp skin, soaking up the moisture until he no longer feel the chill. And then he wrapped the blanket around his body.

Sakura was gone from the living room again, and was now in the kitchen. From the sounds of clanking pots and clinking cups, he surmised that she was preparing tea. His supposition was confirmed a few minutes later when she walked out of the kitchen bearing a small tray with a pot and two cups.

It occurred to him then that this was the first time she had deigned to be hospitable towards him since he had returned to Konoha. It made for a nice change compared to the constant rejection and hostility.

"Tea?" she asked, already pouring into a cup.

"Hm."

Wordlessly, she handed one to him before pouring another for herself.

"Thank you."

"Why are you out of the hospital already?" she demanded, sitting on the couch opposite him. "You're supposed to be there for another day or two."

He shrugged. "It was time to leave." It was best not to tell her that he had done so without telling anyone. "It's only chakra exhaustion."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "You transported two adults across a vast space. It's more than chakra exhaustion!"

"It was merely a jutsu."

She blinked at him, and then there was a flash of curiosity in those eyes of hers. "What type of jutsu is it?"

"A space-time jutsu."

"It has something to do with the bracelet Kakashi gave me before the mission, right?"

"Yes. All of you were given one."

"How did the jutsu work?"

He did not wish to speak of his creation, but if it relaxed her enough for him to broach the other, more sensitive topic, he was willing to go through it. "The bracelet contains some of my chakra and a locating seal. It created a direct link between us. I pulled you out of real time, and then deposited you in another dimension. You recall a dark void?"

She nodded.

"That is the other dimension. It…" He paused, wondering how to explain it simply. "It shortens time and space. That is why when I brought you out of the dimension, you fell straight into Konoha."

"It's…" She looked bewildered. "I just can't believe the scale of it." Then, a little hesitantly, she asked, "So it's an Uchiha technique?"

He shook his head. "Having the Sharingan assists in the focus required for the technique, but it can be performed by non-Uchiha. In fact, this technique evolved from the Yondaime's Hiraishin-no-jutsu."

There was no need to tell her that he had been so impressed by Namikaze Minato's technique that he had taken upon himself to research it in great depth in his childhood. It was only in the recent years that he had the privacy and opportunity to experiment and work on it further.

"It is impressive," she told him with a little smile.

"Hm."

Sakura bit her lips then, her eyes dropping to the teacup clasped between her hands. And that was when he knew that she was ready to face the true reason for his presence.

In a calm, even voice, he said, "Thank you for telling me."

She jerked, her eyes wide when her gaze flew up to meet his eyes. "W-What?"

"It must have been difficult for you to tell me, as you were so uncertain of how I would take the news."

Much to his consternation, her bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes began to glaze over with moisture. This was not what he had anticipated. He had not come here to upset her, only to clarify a few things and make peace between them.

"Do not cry," he warned her.

She promptly turned away from him, rubbing her face furiously. And when she turned back to him a couple of minutes later, the only sign of her earlier distress was her slightly red eyes.

"I'm not crying," she muttered, raising her eyes to him.

Uncertain how he should react to this, he merely continued to speak. "Still, you should have informed me earlier. I would have liked to watch him grow."

Contrition flashed over her features. "I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize. The fault is not yours alone." Needing to explain, he continued, "Neither of us had enough faith in the other. It's not just the Uchiha massacre. I shouldn't have deceived you about my identity years ago. Perhaps then, you might have trusted me enough to tell me the truth once you discovered you were pregnant."

She glanced down at her hands again. "Maybe." Then her expression turned pained. "When I realized who you were, I felt so stupid, so… betrayed. Kakashi always told us to look beneath the underneath, but all I was focusing on was the surface, even when there were so many signs that something else was at play. I should have realized that you were not just a random civilian. You're too different from them."

"I did nothing to correct you," he told her quietly.

She worried her lips for a while before she spoke, "You looked familiar at first but then I thought it was just a coincidence."

"Sakura."

She glanced up at him. Disliking the distance between them, he stood up and walked around the low table until he reached the couch she was seated on. Her eyes were wide, but she said nothing when he sat down beside her. Not wishing to scare her off, he kept a small distance between their thighs.

This time, when he looked into her eyes, they were close enough that he could see the familiar darker specks of green amidst the lighter hue. And in those eyes, he could also see her anxiousness. Unlike him, she did not know what was on his mind. She did not know that he had had time to think over the situation, and could only see one way forward.

Knowing that he had her full attention, he said, "We can start over, if you wish."

Her lips parted in surprise. "S-Start over?"

He nodded once. "There is no point in dwelling over the past. But if you agree, we should make another attempt at this… relationship."

She blinked owlishly at him.

"Sakura?"

"You're not mad that I didn't tell you about Ryo?"

He was not overjoyed by it, but there wasn't much use in lingering over what was done as far as that was concerned. "Just don't keep such things from me again."

"Such…" she broke off, her cheeks turning pink.

And that was when it hit Itachi that she must have taken that to mean that she should not keep news of any further pregnancies or children from him again. Clearly, the notion embarrassed her.

It would probably discomfit her further if he was to admit to her that he found the idea appealing.

Wishing to defuse her discomfort, he reached out and with his fingers on her chin, gently nudged her to face him. In a quiet voice, he assured her, "I'm pleased that Ryo is my son, and that you've taken such good care of him."

Her bottom lip trembled again. "I'm so sorry!"

And the next thing he knew, she was in his arms, her face buried in her chest. For a moment, he simply did not know how to react to her presence. After longing for her for so long, it was difficult to believe that she was once again in his arms, willingly.

But this was the physically affectionate Sakura he remembered.

This was the woman he had fell in love with.

And still loved.

000

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000

Kakashi stood at the large window of his office and stared out into the evening sky. It was growing progressively dark, and it was time that he went home for some light reading. Or perhaps if he was early enough, he'd be able to catch Rin at her place before she went to bed.

A little impatiently, he glanced over his shoulder to find that Shikamaru was _still_ there, seated opposite the desk. The young strategist had his elbows on his knees allowing his hands to hang free in front of him as he stared at the ground thoughtfully.

As he had been doing for the past hour.

Returning to his chair to sit down, Kakashi suppressed the urge to sigh out loud. Getting impatient would help no one, especially since he had been the one to drag Shikamaru away from his cloud-watching to do some real strategy work.

Because strategy was what they required to deal with this whole situation.

It did not help that Shinozuka's suicide jutsu had activated before they could get more out of his mind. Fortunately, the last thing they had managed to squeeze out of him was a very important name, Shiraishi Kenji. In fact, now that Kakashi thought further about it, the name was probably the trigger for Shinozuka's death, sort of like a security measure.

Kakashi tapped his fingers on the surface of his desk.

Shiraishi Kenji. The new leader of Yugakure.

It appeared that he had been pulling the strings behind the scenes. So far, Shiraishi had targeted Sakura and Konoha's ANBU. He probably wanted to capture Sakura for some Shinjutama-related issue, but why kill Konoha's ANBU? Neither he nor Shikamaru could think of a reasonable cause for Shiraishi to attack Konoha's ANBU unless it was for revenge for what had happened during one of the old wars.

The Second Great Ninja War had occurred so long ago that he wasn't even born yet, Kakashi mused. But like all shinobi of his age, they had learnt many lessons it in the Academy, in the attempt to prepare them for the next war.

Situated to the west of Wind Country, the Hidden Village of Hot Water, or better known as Yugakure, had once been a powerful but secretive shinobi village. Their power had much to do with the ruling Shinju clan's main bloodline ability to control and manipulate a powerful gemstone called the Shinjutama. This was the same gemstone that Danzou had sent Sakura, who was a descendant of the Shinju clan, to harvest seven years ago.

The fact that Sakura existed meant that the Shinju clan members were not extinct as many had thought. This erroneous supposition came when after Yugakure's loss during the Second Great Ninja War. Although the ruling clan members were powerful, Yugakure had been too small to withstand a great force such as Konoha, and had lost badly. Since then, no one had encountered any Shinju clan member, which led to the assumption that they must have been wiped out. The new leader who had taken over was a non-Shinju shinobi who had then decided to turn Yugakure from a shinobi village to a civilian one.

Now, it was clear that many Shinju clan members had just fled the village and scattered, hiding themselves.

Sakura's mother had found her way to Konoha, but there had been no proof that she was a Shinju clan member. As far as everyone was concerned, she was only a civilian. She had certainly hidden her identity well.

Another descendant of the Shinju clan was Shiraishi Kenji who had been located in Suna. He had been 'traded' to Danzou around six years ago in order to placate the Rokudaime when Sakura had sought shelter in Suna. Presumably, Danzou had wanted to use Shiraishi's abilities to manipulate the Shinjutama.

Kakashi did not know how successful that had been, for shortly afterwards, Tsunade had led the attacks on Konoha in the bid to regain power.

Now, a Shinju clan member was once again in power in Yugakure. Shiraishi was an unknown entity, for the shinobi was not in any Bingo Book, nor had anyone fought him directly as far as he knew. However, Kakashi knew that Shiraishi must not be underestimated, for this was the man who had single-handedly wrestled back control of a country from someone who had ruled it for thirty-odd years.

"We have two options."

Startled by the sudden words after the prolonged silence, Kakashi glanced across the desk at his strategist. Finally, some results, he thought.

"What are the options?" Kakashi asked.

"We can wait to see what is Shiraishi's next move. That way, we can gather more information about his plans and react accordingly," Shikamaru supplied. Then with a pained sigh, he went on, "The second option is more troublesome."

"Which is?"

Shikamaru met his eyes with a resolute look. "We make a move first."

Kakashi's eyes widened in comprehension. "I see. Is that really a good idea?"

"At this time, with the current state of the shinobi world, yes," Shikamaru confirmed.

This time, Kakashi sighed out loud. "This is not good."

"We need to consider the two options in further depth," Shikamaru said. "I doubt Shiraishi will make a move so soon, so we have some time to plan. Still, I think the second option is the better one."

"Very well." Kakashi arched a pointed brow at him. "You know what to do then."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I'll work up the plan in more detail."

Kakashi beamed. "Good work, Nara."

Before Shikamaru could respond to him, there was a series of quick raps on his door, drawing their attentions. Kakashi could sense who it was, and a smile immediately tugged at the corner of his lips. Why was she here? Were they supposed to meet up tonight? He could not remember, but he was not complaining.

"Come in."

The door creaked open and in walked the brown-haired medic. Kakashi's smile dimmed when he took in how distraught Rin looked. Immediately concerned, he walked around his desk towards her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Uchiha Itachi is missing from the hospital."

Kakashi blinked. "He is?"

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome."

This did not make sense. He would not have just left Konoha without a formal briefing. It was simply not like the Uchiha to do something like that. He probably just left the hospital to return home. Such a thing would not be too surprising. He had done it himself countless times, after all.

"Anyone checked his house?" Kakashi asked.

Rin nodded. "I just went there. There's no one home."

Then Shikamaru asked in a lazy tone. "Should check Sakura's apartment instead."

Comprehension dawned, and Kakashi relaxed. "Ah. That's right. He's probably there."

Rin blinked, and then gasped as she stared at him accusingly. "Sakura's house? Have you been matchmaking lately, Kakashi?"

Kakashi winced at her tone. "Er, I wouldn't put it quite like that."

She gave him a dry look as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Then how would you put it?"

"I think I'd better go," Shikamaru muttered, slinking towards the door. "Plans to map out."

Deserter, Kakashi thought balefully as he watched the strategist exited the office, leaving him to face Rin's accusations alone. Now he had to find a way to defuse the woman's obvious displeasure with him.

Turning back to Rin's expectant expression, he gave her a placating smile, hoping that she could see it through his mask. "I'm really not match-making."

She tapped her foot. "We talked about this, Kakashi. What happens between Sakura and the Uchiha is their business, not ours. You wouldn't want anyone to meddle with our relationship now, would you?"

Well, not really. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Ah, that's different. With their pasts, those two wouldn't have gotten anywhere without a nudge here and there."

Rin gave him an exasperated look. "Fine. Anyway, I'd better go to Sakura's place now."

"That's probably not such a good idea," Kakashi pointed out mildly.

"Huh? But I thought you said he could be there."

She looked so confused that it was adorable. Unable to resist, he tugged her towards him until her palms were flattened against his chest, her lips parted in surprised.

"Kakashi?"

Running his eye over her delectable lips, he murmured distractedly, "Hm?"

"Why shouldn't I go there?"

"Because if you do and he is there with Sakura, you might end up seeing things you're better off not seeing."

And when Rin's eyes rounded in understanding, Kakashi chuckled out loud.

000

* * *

000

Sakura awoken to find herself enveloped in a blanket of soothing warmth. It was like being wrapped in something wholly comforting, something that she did not want to leave anytime soon. It was also oddly familiar.

"Okaa-san."

At the sound of Ryo's whispered words, she cracked open her eyes.

Only to register with some confusion that she was lying sideways on the couch and Ryo was standing across the living room, just outside his room door, staring at her with wide, curious eyes. He was still in his frog-printed pajamas, the one he had received from Naruto last year, and his tousled hair told her that he had just left his bed.

"Ryo-chan?"

She tried to get up, only to freeze when she realized that she was being held down by a warm arm encircling her waist, while another arm acted as a pillow under her head. Arms belonging to a certain ANBU captain.

Her eyes widened in shock and horror.

"Why is he sleeping here?" Ryo blinked, as if something had just occurred to him. And then he asked in a too-loud whisper, "Do I have to call him Otou-san now?"

Sakura felt mortified. There was no way that Itachi had slept through all that. He was probably awake even before she woke up, which meant that he had heard Ryo's very awkward question.

And to prove her right, his arm tightened around her briefly as a rumble ran through the chest pressed against her back.

She blinked.

Was he… laughing?

Slowly, she turned in his arms.

To find a pair of amused onyx eyes staring right at her. It was such a familiar look that she felt her breath hitch and her mouth go dry. The long-forgotten surge of heat followed next, making her redden in embarrassment when his amusement morphed to something darker and more sensual.

"Oh, you're awake," Ryo exclaimed, breaking the tension instantly.

Turning away from Itachi, she jerked straight up into a sitting position, swiveling on the couch to face her son, who was now making his way toward the couch. He did not seem too concerned about finding his mother sleeping on the couch with the man he had just discovered was his father yesterday.

"Ryo-chan?"

"You haven't answered my question." The boy flicked his eyes at the man behind her thoughtfully, and then addressed him instead, "So, should I call you Otou-san now?"

Sitting up beside her, Itachi asked evenly, "Do you wish to do so?"

Ryo's face scrunched. "Otou-san," he tested. "Sounds weird."

Sakura almost groaned out loud. The entire situation felt surreal. All three of them in the same room, having just woken up, and Ryo was asking if he should call Itachi 'father'. It was time to put a stop to it, before the situation ran away with itself. Or Ryo said something else even more awkward.

"Ah, Ryo-chan, have you brushed your teeth yet?"

"Do I have to?" he immediately whined, as she had expected.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes."

Without another word, the boy padded to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She soon heard the sound of running water and the clink of plastic against the tap, telling her that he was obeying her instruction.

And then she tensed again when she felt Itachi reaching around her to pull her closer. Their eyes met for a mere second before she felt his lips on hers, kissing her chastely. She did not even have the opportunity to _think_ of how to respond before he pulled back, smiling slightly at her.

"Good morning, Sakura."

"G-Good morning," she returned rather shakily, finding the whole situation a little too unreal.

Quite calmly, he glanced at the bathroom door. "Does he always object to teeth brushing?"

The tension diffusing slightly, she nodded. "Yes, ever since he was a baby."

"Hm."

She took in his unruffled countenance. "You're taking this surprisingly well," she remarked wryly. She waved a hand around. "About Ryo, I mean."

He raised a brow at her. "How did you expect me to react?"

She shrugged. "I really don't know. Not this well, I guess."

He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before he said, "I'm happy about this, Sakura." His gaze intensifying, he added, "And you're surely aware by now what I want."

Startled by his frankness, she could only stare as he reached out to tap her softly on her forehead.

"Do not over-think matters, Sakura."

As she rubbed her forehead, she admitted that he was probably right. Maybe she should just take things one step at a time and see how things go. After all, it was good enough right now that all three of them were together, right?

000

* * *

000

Itachi had never indulged in fantasizing about what the future might bring, but he had a feeling that if he had done so, he might have seen this exact scene playing out.

The three of them were seated at the kitchen table, bathed in the morning glow of the sun from the large window nearby, eating a simple breakfast of rice, grilled salmon, pickles and miso soup. Sakura was in the process of persuading Ryo to finish his salmon, much to the boy's disgust.

"I don't like salmon, Okaa-san," he complained. "Can't I have something else?"

Firmly, Sakura told him, "No, there's nothing else, and fish is good for you. So eat it."

Ryo pouted. "But it smells."

"Most fish dishes smell, Ryo-chan," Sakura pointed out, clearly exasperated.

Ryo's eyes slid to the kitchen cupboards longingly. "There's ramen in there, Okaa-san. Can I have that instead?"

Itachi's lips twitched in amusement when Sakura groaned dejectedly, muttering something about having words with her blond friend. He had been observing the proceedings in silence so far in the attempt to understand the domestic interactions here, but perhaps it was time he joined in.

"Ramen is not very nutritious," he said evenly.

Ryo turned to him, eyes wide. "You don't like ramen?"

Something told Itachi that he was on the verge of treading on something sensitive. Carefully, he replied quite honestly, "I believe it is acceptable on occasion, but not as part of one's regular daily diet."

Sakura grateful look did not go unnoticed.

"So fish is better?" Ryo asked, face twisting in dislike.

"Fish is an excellent source of protein and contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. All these are beneficial for the growth of a young shinobi," Itachi told him.

"Oh. Do you like fish, Uchi…" Ryo broke off, and then continued, "Do you like fish, Otou-san?"

Itachi stilled at his words, momentarily unable to react due to the shock of hearing Ryo address him in such a manner. This was the first time Ryo had done so. He had assumed earlier that the boy had found it 'weird', and therefore, would not be addressing him as such.

"Otou-san?" Beginning to look a little nervous, Ryo glanced at his mother. "Okaa-san? Maybe I shouldn't call him Otou-san?"

"It is fine, Ryo," Itachi interjected before Sakura could say anything. "I find fish… acceptable."

Frowning slightly as he looked down to his piece of salmon, the only thing left on his serving of breakfast, Ryo muttered, "I guess I'd better eat this then."

At that point, Itachi and Sakura exchanged a look and she smiled at him. A wash of warmth flashed over him at the sight. There was a sense of rightness in this, in the three of them sitting here, sharing a meal.

Itachi only hoped that he could make this last.

The sound of someone knocking on the front door came just as they finished with breakfast. Before either he or Sakura could respond, Ryo shot out of his chair, racing out of the kitchen.

"I'll get it!"

"Stop, Ryo, you don't even know who is it!" Sakura chastised, straightening to follow the boy.

Itachi followed at a more sedate pace, arriving at the kitchen door just in time to see Sakura usher Ryo away from the front door to open it herself. The morning light shone in through the opening, revealing the silhouette of a male ANBU. His mask was dangling under his chin, something which Itachi knew he should chastise the ANBU for if he was here on official business.

"Sakura," the ANBU greeted.

"Genma," Sakura returned with a smile. "What's up?"

"Can't I just pop in for a visit?" he asked teasingly.

Sakura chuckled. "No, really. Why are you here?"

Genma sobered up, and Itachi found the other man's eyes on him a moment later. "I'm here for the captain."

Eyes widening with curiosity, Sakura stepped away from the door, allowing him to approach the ANBU operative.

"Shiranui."

"Taichou," Genma greeted. "Hokage-sama wants to speak to you."

"What does this concern?"

"The invasion of Spring Country."

000

* * *

000

A/N: And that's it for now - you're probably all overdosed from the fluff, anyway, hehe. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Apologies for the long delay in updating. If you've read my profile, you'd be aware of the reason for the delay now. Work has been mad lately, so I've been too drained to write much, only a few lines here and there over the past few months. Unfortunately, the trend is continuing. And with Christmas approaching, things will get even more hectic. So I'm not promising anything for now. Still, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter. The next chapter will be the last.

* * *

**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 14**

"The invasion of Spring Country."

"An invasion?" Sakura blurted out incredulously.

Genma nodded.

As surprising as Shiranui's announcement was, Itachi did not react in any way outwardly. He merely gave the ANBU an even look as he considered what would be an appropriate response. Something about this struck him as odd. It was too sudden, too abrupt, not to mention it was highly unusual for an ANBU operative to broadcast such a thing so publicly.

"Really?" Ryo asked, eyes wide with interest. "Why?"

Before the ANBU could say anything else, Itachi asked, "Should you be announcing this so casually, Shiranui?"

The man's hand went to rub the back of his head as he grinned sheepishly. "Can't really disobey the Hokage's direct order now, can I?"

Comprehension immediately dawned.

Now this was interesting. So, the Hokage had wanted people to know about this so-called plan for an invasion. He supposed selecting someone as loose-mouthed as Genma would swiftly achieve such an objective. The entirety of Konoha would be aware of this 'invasion' by the end of the day.

The entire situation had him curious, and he had better meet the Hokage if he wished to find out more.

"Thank you for the message, Shiranui. I will see the Hokage shortly," he said.

Genma nodded and then turned to Sakura, who was wearing a worried frown at the moment. "The Hokage probably wants to see the rest of us tomorrow."

"I'll be around," Sakura confirmed.

Itachi felt a tug on his pants, and he looked down to find Ryo eyeing him questioningly.

"Can I come too, Otou-san?"

Itachi did not miss the ANBU's sharply indrawn breath at the little boy's words, even though his attention remained on Ryo. Well, at least this would take care of announcing his bond to Ryo. Shiranui would surely spread this news as fast as he would spread the news about the invasion.

"Not this time, I'm afraid," he told the boy.

"Are you coming back here later, then?" Ryo asked hopefully.

Sakura interjected firmly, "You're going to make him late for his meeting, Ryo-chan. And this sounds as if it's going to be a busy day for your father."

Ryo's expression fell, immediately reminding Itachi of how Sasuke had looked when he said no to shuriken training. Now, with the knowledge that Ryo was his son, he could understand why the boy kept reminding him of Sasuke at the oddest time. The two of them shared the same chin, and the same sulky pout when they did not get their way.

And as with Sasuke, Itachi was flooded by the need to mollify the boy. The only difference was, now he no longer needed to suppress the urge, the way he had done with Sasuke.

So, in the attempt to console the boy, ignoring the increasingly incredulous look Shiranui was casting upon them, Itachi knelt down to face Ryo. In a tone that held a wealth of promise, he assured, "I'll return after the meeting. Then perhaps, if you wish, we may train a little."

Ryo's countenance immediately lifted and a large smile spread across his face. "Okay, Otou-san!"

He straightened to face Sakura then. "You'll be home later?"

"I'm not sure. There are a couple of things I need to take care of. But we'll be in and around Konoha. Just in case the Hokage needs us."

"I will find both of you after the meeting," he promised.

"Great!" Ryo enthused. "Can you teach me some new jutsu?"

Itachi felt like chuckling at his exuberance. "Possibly."

"See you later, then," Sakura murmured, a small smile grazing her lips.

"Bye, Otou-san!"

Itachi felt his breath catch at the sight of Ryo upturned, beaming face. He was fond of the boy before, but now that he knew that Ryo was his son, a new appreciation was beginning to surface. And now with that knowledge, he could not understand how, with all his so-called genius, he had not managed to recognize the similarities between Ryo and Sasuke, which would have in turn, inform him of the boy's parentage. It was highly likely that he was simply blinded by all the unfamiliar emotions racing through him over the past months ever since he had returned to Konoha.

Casting his son a fond look, Itachi turned around and brushed past the stunned ANBU, pausing briefly afterwards to ask mildly, "Coming, Shiranui?"

It took a moment before the other shinobi managed to answer. His eyes were still wide with undisguised curiosity when he replied, "Ah, no, Taichou. I have other errands."

Itachi gave him a curt nod. "Very well."

Without further ado, he made his way to the Hokage's tower. The pleasant sensation which had been surrounding him gradually seeped away as he thought of what this meeting might bring forth. It was clear that something was afoot, for the Hokage would not order such a careless announcement of an attack on another village without a good reason for it.

He only hoped that when he found out what it was, it would not upset his recently-righted life too much.

000

* * *

000

Sakura watched Itachi leave a little wistfully. It seemed that they had only such a brief time together as a family before he was torn away to handle his responsibilities as a shinobi. But then again, such were their lives.

"I'm going in to clean my weapons for training later," Ryo announced, bouncing away from the door to head straight into his bedroom.

He was obviously looking forward to meeting Itachi for training later, Sakura thought with a smile. She loved the way they had accepted each other so readily, fitting in with each other so easily. It was the way things should have been years ago, if only it had not been so messed up by all the lies between them.

"So…"

Sakura turned to find the senbon-chewing ANBU still standing there at her doorway, giving her a narrowed-eyed look of speculation. Clearly, he wanted to know more about what he had heard earlier, not that she blamed him for his curiosity. She was certain that the news would be shocking to most people. After all, no one knew that she and Itachi even knew each other so many years ago.

Knowing that it would drive him crazy, she tossed him a smirk over her shoulder as she walked back into the apartment, heading towards the kitchen to clean up the remains of their breakfast.

"So?" she repeated blandly.

Following her in and shutting the door behind him, he joined her at the kitchen. Leaning over the counter next to the sink, Genma smirked back as he wagged a finger in front of her face. "Now don't play hard to get. You know what I mean."

She only raised a brow.

"You're going to make me ask, aren't you? You just want me to sound like a nosy old lady," he accused.

"That's because you're exactly like a nosy old lady," she tossed back with a laugh as she washed the dishes.

Genma gave her a fake pout. "So, he's really the kid's father?"

"You heard them, didn't you?"

"Surprising, Sakura. Surprising." He grinned. "I guess this happened when you were stationed outside those many years ago."

"Yeah."

After a short silence, Genma told her in a more sober tone, "You know, some may not take the news too well. The massacre and all."

She grimaced, pausing in her washing. "I know.

"But after knowing him as our captain, most of us think there is more to the story." He shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time truths were covered up."

She looked at him, surprised.

Genma raised a brow at her. "What? Don't tell me he seemed like the insane killing type to you."

She had best not answer that. There was no point in announcing her stupidity. Instead, she tossed a dry towel at him. "Help me dry the dishes."

Catching the towel, Genma's eyes bugged in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Or you can leave," she told him pointedly.

He stared at her for a moment, and then grinned. "Ah, well. Can't refuse to help a lovely kunoichi now, can we?"

She rolled her eyes, and then rinsed the dishes briskly, handing each dripping item to Genma, who obediently dried the dishes. As he worked, he continued to try to dig for information on her relationship with Itachi, but she remained stubbornly tight-lipped about it. It would not be fair to tell him first, without informing her closest friends first.

So, at the end of the dish-washing session, a thoroughly disgruntled Genma finally gave up and left, much to her amusement. The door closed with a click behind him, leaving her alone in the apartment with her son, who had remained in his room all this time.

Hopefully he was not up to no good.

A quick glance at the clock on the living room wall told her that it was ten in the morning, a decent enough time to pay a close friend a visit. Naruto should be awake by now. If not, she would just have to wake him up. After all, she had promised him that she would tell him the truth first before anyone else. It was probably best to tell Ino and the rest while she was at it as well.

"Ryo-chan?" she called out.

A moment later, her son peeked out of his room, still clad in his pajamas. "You called, Okaa-san?"

"I'm going to see your Naruto-Oji-san now."

Brightening, the boy cried out, "I'm coming with you. Wait for me!"

She shook her head as he disappeared back into his room to change. He did not really think that she was about to leave him here alone, did he? The immediate threat of Shinozuka might be gone, but she was quite certain that the danger had not passed yet as far as she and Ryo were concerned.

Especially after Genma's announcement earlier.

An invasion of Spring Country? She winced at the thought of those shinobi she had gotten to know there all those years ago. She wondered how they were doing. Would they be fighting against each other? But then again, things seemed to have changed so much over there.

She glanced down at her own clothes, deciding that the casual red vest and the black pants that she had thrown on this morning would suffice. And when Ryo emerged from his room, he was dressed in his usual green training outfit, complete with his kodachi strapped to his back. It was at the tip of her tongue to tell him to leave the weapon behind, but a moment later, she figured that no one would really mind. After all, it was a shinobi village.

"Come, let's go," she told him.

With an enthusiastic bounce, Ryo followed her out of the apartment.

The route to Naruto's apartment was a familiar one, one that she could navigate blindfolded, even though they were travelling over the rooftops for increased speed of movement. Wind swept past her cheeks as she sped on, though she took care to make sure that Ryo was close by her side.

As fast as they were travelling, it did not stop Ryo from chattering excitedly about the new development in their lives. She only half-listened as her son went on about this jutsu and that jutsu that he could ask Itachi to teach him, even though there was no way he could achieve some of them at this age.

"… you think he will move in with us?"

She blinked as his latest words registered, her steps faltering briefly. "Move in?" she echoed as she directed a questioning glance at her son.

Ryo nodded as his legs carried him over a parapet and he sailed over the gap between two buildings easily. Once he had landed on the other side, he asked, "Families usually live together in the same house, right?"

What could she say to that? It was not as if she or Itachi had managed to get that far in the conversation yesterday. She knew that he wanted them to be together, but what did that mean, exactly? Was it too soon to bring the topic up?

She would not be adverse to the idea of all three of them together, certainly.

"Okaa-san?"

The sight of Naruto's apartment looming closer gave her a means of respite from her son's questions. "We'll talk about it later, okay. We're almost there."

"We are!" Ryo enthused.

A minute later, they landed on Naruto's rooftop and entered through the roof access hatch, making their way down the echoing stairwell several floors until they reached the required level. Ryo raced forward ahead of her, reaching Naruto's door first. Without pause, he knocked impatiently. Moving at a more sedate pace, Sakura joined her son just as the door swung open to reveal a smiling blonde boy.

"Sakura-san," Minato chirped happily. "Ryo."

"Is your father in?" she asked.

The boy nodded, sending his blonde hair bouncing around his head. "Come in."

"Who's that, Minato?" came a gentle question from within the apartment.

"Sakura-san and Ryo. Sakura-san wants to see Otou-san!"

Sakura stepped in just in time to see Hinata walking out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. When her eyes met Hinata's pale ones, she smiled.

"Hello, Hinata."

"Sakura," the dark-haired woman returned with her own smile. "Come have a seat. I'll get Naruto for you. He's napping."

She blinked after Hinata's retreating back. Napping? At this time in the morning?

Shaking her head in amusement, she sat down on the couch, watching as Minato pulled the taller Ryo away to his room, no doubt for one of their games. Minato treated Ryo like an older brother, something which both she and Naruto found quite endearing. She had no doubt that right now, Ryo was probably filling Minato in on the latest excitement in his life.

"Sakura-chan."

The cushion beside her dipped as Naruto sat down beside her with a yawn, followed by a welcoming grin. He was dressed casually in his home clothes, a T-shirt and some track pants, telling her that he was not anticipating going out anytime soon. Which suggested that he probably didn't know anything about the Spring Country invasion. Why else would he be napping?

He jerked his head at Minato's door as he stifled another yawn. "Can hear Ryo in there."

"Yeah."

"He's okay?"

She nodded. "We talked a bit last night."

"So, want to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ryo knows the identity of his father now."

Naruto's eyes rounded as he shot to his feet. "WHAT?"

"Shh!" she hushed, and then hissed, "What's with the shouting?"

"Who is it?" he asked just as loudly, still staring at her with wide blue eyes.

"Why are you so interested now? You never pressed me for this information before," she pointed out, a little baffled by how Naruto seemed to be overreacting.

He pouted. "I wanted to, but Hinata told me not to ask. She said it might be something you don't want to talk about. And that if you're ready to talk about it, you will do it in your own time. So I was trying to be understanding, alright?"

She smiled crookedly, feeling oddly touched. It must have taken Naruto a massive effort to keep his questions to himself. Hinata was surely a good influence on him. She must remember to thank the woman one day.

"So who fathered Ryo?" Naruto pressed, clearly impatient.

She bit her lips, wondering how he would take the news. In a cautious voice, she revealed, "It's Uchiha Itachi."

Naruto blinked once, twice, and then his face reddened in the most alarming manner. Standing over her, he seemed to actually puff up that she actually leaned away from him in reflex. He had better not manifest the fox.

"WHAT? The bastard! He-"

"Naruto!"

Sakura jumped at the interruption. Both of them swung around to find Hinata eyeing Naruto with an expression of unmistakable rebuke. At that look, Naruto winced, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he inched back onto the couch. The couch sank again as he sat down.

"Erk… Yes, Hinata?"

"Language, Naruto," Hinata said in a quieter voice, but no less stern. "We don't want Minato to pick such things up."

Naruto looked guilty as he darted a look at his son's bedroom door. "Right. Sorry."

A mildly exasperated expression crossed the Hyuuga's features as she walked towards them, sitting down on the couch beside Naruto. Sakura found Hinata regarding her curiously, and knew that there would be questions. Even though the other woman was not nosy, they had grown rather close over the years and that meant that Hinata would be interested in this piece of news.

"So it's Uchiha Itachi?" she asked, sounding thoughtful.

Sakura nodded.

"That's… unexpected." Hinata glanced in the direction of Ryo's room. "There isn't much physical resemblance, is there?"

A small grin graced Sakura's lips. "Ryo takes after my father."

Naruto chuckled. "Good thing he didn't get your pink hair, huh?"

She immediately glared at her friend. "And what's wrong with my hair?"

Eyes wide, Naruto shrank back. "Uh…"

Sakura broke out in a grin at his expression. "I was just kidding. It's good that he didn't inherit my pink hair. I don't think he will appreciate it."

"So Uchiha Itachi was in Spring Country all those years ago?" Hinata asked quietly.

Sakura nodded. "I didn't know who he was." At Naruto's boggled expression, she defended, "He looked really different without his hair, alright?"

"Hair? Without his hair?" Naruto blurted out.

"He must have shaven it off to disguise himself," Hinata surmised.

"Yes. Besides, I've only seen him once, years ago when we were on the mission to rescue Gaara," she elaborated.

"But why him?" Naruto asked, running a hand through his already-messy blond hair.

She shot him a challenging look. "Why Hinata?" she retorted.

"That's different. Hinata is beautiful, kind, loving and I love her," Naruto belted out unabashedly while his wife blushed in embarrassment. "And-"

"I think that's enough, Naruto," Hinata interjected.

Sakura grinned at the dark-haired kunoichi. "At least you're quite sure where Naruto's affection lies."

Hinata smiled. "Still, I think we'd like to know how you ended up with Itachi. If you don't mind sharing."

She shrugged. "He was disguised as a civilian, and his job at that time was to keep his village safe. Konoha had just retreated from Yugakure then, so the situation there wasn't really stable. We met when a bout of infection ran through his civilian village and he had to come for help from Yugakure. I was based in Yugakure and was asked to assist, so I did. Later on, we met again when he found out that I was working on the Shinjutama." Her lips twitched in a smile. "He said he was keeping an eye on me to make sure that I didn't destroy the gemstone."

"If he was in hiding, surely he's risking exposure by doing that?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, that." She grimaced. "He kind of… lost his memories."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "All of it?"

"We didn't talk much about it. In fact, I didn't know the truth about his identity and his memory loss until the day we separated. The disclosure did not end well."

Hinata gave her a sympathetic look. "That's unfortunate."

"So, what happened before you split up? He was keeping an eye on you and then what?" Naruto prompted.

She directed a dry look at him. "One thing led to another and it resulted in Ryo. Do you really need _all _the details, Naruto?"

Clearly alarmed, her blond friend reared back, waving his hands in front of him. "No, no. That's okay. No details."

Sakura hid her grin.

Hinata stood up then, giving her an apologetic look. "I'd like to talk more about this but I need to go back to the kitchen to cook. Why don't you stay for lunch, Sakura?"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan. Join us for lunch."

"Would love to," she accepted with a smile.

And when she turned back to Naruto, it was to find him wearing a contemplative look. "What?" she asked.

With a baffled expression, he whined, "I still don't get it. Why him?"

Groaning out loud in defeat, Sakura buried her face in her hands.

000

* * *

000

"So, what do you say, Uchiha?"

Itachi regarded the other shinobi thoughtfully, mulling over his words.

For the past hour, the Hokage and the Nara strategist had outlined the proposed strategy. The plan made sense, as to be expected from the Nara genius. However, as with every plan, there were still risks. And usually, these risks stemmed from human errors. Therefore, it was important to select the correct personnel for this assignment.

"Who is involved?" he asked.

Kakashi's gaze shifted to meet Shikamaru's briefly before listing, "Not many, so far. Only those I trust. Ibiki, Shikamaru… you. There would be others later, of course."

Itachi displayed no outward reaction to the Hokage's declaration of trust, even though it surprised him. After all, it was not so long ago that he was required to sign the blood-scroll agreement.

"There must be no doubt in regards to their loyalty to Konoha," Itachi remarked pointedly.

"We narrowed down the list to a number we're fully certain of," Shikamaru said, gesturing lazily at the Hokage's desk. "Left it for you in there."

The Shichidaime blinked down at the mountain of paperwork in front of him. Itachi doubted that he would be able to locate said list in the clutter. From what he could recall, both the Sandaime and the Yondaime had suffered from the same inability to keep their work surfaces tidy as well. Idly, he wondered if the Godaime was any better at this particular task.

"Right," Kakashi muttered under his breath before looking up at his advisor. "I don't suppose you filed that list in that photographic mind of yours?"

"So troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, pushing off the wall to move closer to the desk. "These are the ones with the right skills, who are loyal, and can keep quiet about such things. Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji, Yamashiro Aoba, Namiashi Raido, Uzuki Yuugao, Morino Idate and Uzumaki Naruto."

"Naruto, huh?" Kakashi murmured.

"His our strongest nin." Shikamaru shrugged. "And he can be discreet."

"Hm." Kakashi turned towards him. "So, what's your opinion on the list?"

"They are acceptable."

"Also, I don't know if this information will help in any way, but Asari Noa fell into a coma early this morning," the Nara strategist told him.

Itachi raised a brow, surprised. Asari was the first ANBU they had in containment on suspicion of assisting the assassin. And now she was in a coma, just shortly after Shinozuka Aoi had succumbed to some sort of suicide jutsu? This might not be a coincidence.

"It is probably related in some manner to Shinozuka's demise," Itachi suggested. "But at this point, she is unlikely to affect us, unless she awakens with some useful information."

"I think you may be right. The timing is too convenient," Kakashi remarked. "Get the medics to keep a close watch on her, will you?"

"Now?" Shikamaru asked.

The Hokage nodded.

With a brief wave, the strategist turned and walked out of the room, leaving Itachi alone with the Hokage. As Itachi waited to be dismissed, the silver-haired leader of the village rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"You haven't confirmed if you're in," he finally pointed out.

"I will be involved if that is what you wish, Hokage-sama," Itachi returned.

"But you're not really that interested, huh?"

Itachi remained silent. He had just so recently reconciled his relationship with Sakura and just learnt that he was a father. Right now, all he wished was for some time to spend with them, away from the intrigue of his profession. But this was hardly something he could say to the Hokage. The shinobi rules had been drilled too deep within him.

"Uchiha?"

"I will do as instructed," Itachi confirmed. As long as it did not affect Sakura or Ryo adversely, he added silently.

"So, I guess that means you'll be staying in Konoha for a while, huh?" the Hokage asked casually.

"Aa."

Kakashi arched a brow. "Your decision doesn't happen to have anything to do with a certain kunoichi, does it?"

Itachi simply regarded the curious Hokage mildly, deciding that the Hokage did not need to hear the answer. Hatake Kakashi already knew, after all. Though how the silver-haired nin had come by the information was something Itachi did not know.

"Or perhaps it is more to do with a little boy?"

Itachi blinked slowly. "I assume you're referring to Ryo."

The corner of Kakashi's visible eye crinkled. "Who else?"

"You knew all along," Itachi intoned, keeping his voice level, even though he felt somewhat irked by the fact that the Hokage had not seen fit to enlighten him of the situation.

Kakashi shook his head. "I have my suspicions, that's all. But I suppose my suspicion is as well as confirmed now, hm?"

"Hm."

Kakashi leaned back, his smile containing a hint of satisfaction. "About time." A speculative gleam appeared in his eyes then. "So, with you back in Konoha, and Sakura here, I guess I have to speak to the Kazekage about Ryo's permanent residency in Konoha, huh?"

Itachi tensed slightly, not expecting this line of conversation. Furthermore, he had been speculating so much that now he was not certain that he possessed enough real facts about Ryo's position in Suna. It was something that he needed to discuss with Sakura.

So, Itachi chose to not comment.

The Hokage regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before pointing out, "You need to be aware that Shiraishi Kenji's next move might involve Sakura and Ryo. So perhaps it's a good idea to let Sakura in on this."

Itachi nodded, relieved by the change in topic. "It would make sense. However, I doubt he will be foolish enough to enter Konoha to take them." A small frown furrowed his brow. "Still, one could never be certain, for his abilities are largely unknown."

"That's definitely a concern," Kakashi agreed.

Itachi stared out of the large window behind the Hokage pensively. Regardless of his involvement in the greater plan hatched by the Nara, his priority would be to keep his little family safe. He would not have it any way.

000

* * *

000

It was mid-afternoon when they finally made it out of the Uzumaki apartment.

When she and her son walked out into the street, Sakura was pleasantly surprised to find Itachi waiting for them, leaning against the wooden fence which formed the border between someone else's compound and the public footway.

The moment Ryo saw Itachi, the boy swiftly made a beeline for the older male.

"Careful, Ryo!" she called out as he nearly ran into a strolling couple, who shook their heads in disapproval.

"Sorry!" Ryo called out, his eyes not leaving his target. "You're here, Uch-" He checked himself before amending quickly, "Otou-san!"

Something twisted in her chest. It was almost as if Ryo did not want to miss the opportunity to callItachi father. It was as if he had to make the most of it. And the volume at which he had declared his parentage assured her that the whole of Konoha would find out soon, if Genma had not beaten him to it. A pang rang through her at the realization that despite saying nothing on the matter in the past, Ryo must have missed having a father, something that made her feel truly guilty of now that the truth was out in the open.

She followed at a slower pace, watching Ryo as he told Itachi about their visit to the Uzumaki's. She reached them just as the boy broached the topic of training.

Itachi's onyx eyes rose to meet hers, and the affectionate light in them made her breath catch in her throat. Ryo, on the other hand, had caught sight of his temporary teacher in the distance. Tenten must have just returned from a mission recently, Sakura surmised, because she had not seen the dark-haired woman for the past one week. She smiled widely as she waved at the other woman.

"I'm going to say hi to Tenten-sensei, Okaa-san. Maybe she needs someone on her team for their next mission," Ryo told her, already heading away. "Be right back!"

Sakura did not have the heart to tell Ryo that it was unlikely that he would be allowed to leave on a mission, considering the current situation. Best to keep quiet about it for now, seeing that Tenten might not even have a mission for her genin team in the first place.

She turned back to find Itachi still staring at her silently.

"Hi," she greeted softly, almost shyly. "How was the meeting?"

"Surprising."

Her brows shot up. "Oh? Confidential?"

"I will tell you later." He slanted a glance at Ryo, who was now talking to his sensei, before returning his attention to her. "I believe I promised Ryo a training session."

"So you did."

"You're welcomed to join us."

It was his subtle way to inviting her, of telling her that he wanted her company. Faced with this, how could she refuse? Besides, she would be lying to herself if she said that she did not want to spend more time with him. As for visiting Ino to inform her of the news, she supposed that could wait.

"I think I will, then," she accepted.

His lips tilted at the corner. "Good."

"So what are you planning on doing this training session?" she asked curiously. It was not everyday that she would see her son being trained by a shinobi prodigy, even though said prodigy was her son's father.

He took on a contemplative look, and then replied, "Perhaps some fire jutsu."

"I see," she murmured. The Uchiha specialty then.

"Does he know any?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I haven't seen him execute any fire element jutsu."

"Aa. Then we shall see how he performs."

It was then that Ryo came bounding back to them. Without further ado, the three of them made their way to the training grounds. As they neared the one Itachi was making his way toward, she realized that he had chosen the one with a lake. It was at that very lake that most genin learnt how to walk on water.

"The lake?"

At Ryo's obviously confused words, she glanced down to find him frowning slightly. "Why, what's wrong with the lake?" she asked.

"I already know how to walk on the surface of the water," Ryo said, turning up to Itachi, who had paused to regard the boy silently. "Can we do something else?"

"We are not training your chakra control in that manner," Itachi clarified. "Come, I'll show you why we're here."

Soon, they were standing at the edge of the lake. Its calm surface reflected the images of the trees surrounding it, making the water appear green. But once one got close enough, it was evident that the water was crystal clear.

"What are we doing here?" Ryo asked curiously.

"Do you wish to learn a fire jutsu?"

Ryo's eyes rounded in excitement. "Yes!"

"Then, observe," Itachi intoned calmly.

Ryo watched intently as Itachi performed the necessary seals for a certain fire jutsu and then raised his hand to his mouth, forming a ring with his thumb and forefinger. A moment later, a large, hot ball of fire exploded from him.

Startled, their son jump slightly, eyes wide. But the fireball had not even dissipated when he enthused, "Oh, wow! That's amazing!"

Itachi slanted a glance at him, lips quirking slightly. "Were you paying attention to the seals?"

Ryo nodded quickly. "Horse, tiger, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger."

"Correct. You have to perform the seals, gather a significant amount of chakra in your chest, and then release it through your mouth." Itachi nudged in the direction of the lake. "Aim over the water."

Ryo took two steps forward to the edge of the lake.

Understanding why they were at this particular training ground now, Sakura nodded in agreement. It would not do for Ryo to burn down the surrounding area while practicing his Katon-no-jutsu.

They watched while Ryo practiced the seals with utmost concentration, soundlessly mouthing the correct sequence of seals. When he was satisfied with that step, he moved on to practicing the next step, his chest puffing outwards as he concentrated on gathering chakra there.

Clearly too excited to keep on with the practice, Ryo went through the seals and executed the jutsu for the first time, albeit awkwardly.

"It's too soon. He's not ready," Itachi murmured.

"I know," she agreed, just as a miserably weak puff of fire shot out of Ryo's lips to die out in grey wisps of smoke. She had to stifle a chuckle at the disgusted look on her son's face following his failure.

"Keep on practicing, Ryo-chan," she encouraged. "You'll get it soon."

A quick glance to the side told her that Itachi was just as amused, although he only said, "More chakra is required for the jutsu to be successful."

Lips thinning with resolve, Ryo nodded and carried on practicing.

An hour later, his determination paid off, for at the next attempt, the fireball which exploded from his lips was almost the size of a house. Leftover sparks of fire flickered to the side of his face as the fireball remained suspended in midair.

Sakura beamed proudly. "Way to go, Ryo!"

"It is an improvement," Itachi commented mildly, but there was no mistaking the pride in his tone.

"YES!" the boy cried out jubilantly, spinning around to face them.

It was then that Sakura saw it. Horror immediately replaced pride at the sight of the fire licking up Ryo's right sleeve.

Gasping in alarm, she cried out, "Get your sleeve into the water, Ryo!"

The boy's eyes widened as he noted the burning fabric and dove into the water immediately. Cold water from the lake splashed upwards from the impact, but Sakura managed to sidestep to avoid the worst of it.

Instead, the bulk of the water landed straight onto Itachi.

"I think the fire is gone." Ryo hollered from lake.

Eyes still on the stunned Itachi, Sakura blinked in astonishment, unsure if she should laugh at the sight of the usually stoic Uchiha drenched. The volume of water had weighed his hair down and plastered his clothes to his body, making him look uncharacteristically bedraggled.

His expression sealed the deal. It was a priceless mix of incredulity and shock.

Sakura could not help it. She laughed out loud, clutching her stomach.

Until Itachi shook his hair out and pulled his mesh shirt off to wring it.

Her laughter was cut short abruptly at the sight of Itachi's bareness, and in its place grew a familiar heat which crawled all over her body. The recollection of that body, pressed flush against hers intensified the sensation, and she had to fight to keep from fidgeting. And then her eyes were drawn to something familiar hanging off his neck.

"You still have it," she blurted out in a rush.

Itachi lifted his gaze to her, before following her eyes to the object around his neck. The corner of his lips quirked, and then he said, "I see no reason to remove it."

She closed the gap which separated them, reaching out to touch the metal pendant hanging off a thick, but worn leather necklace. It was warm from his skin. The single fragment of Shinjutama embedded at the center of the pendant caught the sunlight and glinted, almost as if greeting her.

"You never took it off?" she asked quietly, raising her eyes to give him a questioning look.

He shook his head.

A rush of affection flooded her at the thought that Itachi had been wearing her gift all this time. And then, suddenly, she dropped her gaze, feeling acutely shamed. How could she have doubted him at all? And how much had she hurt him by her lack of faith in their relationship?

"What disturbs you, Sakura?"

Itachi's quiet, concerned words cut into her thoughts, bringing her attention back to the present. Sighing mildly, she looked up to search his features, to determine if she could read anything from his expression. Unsurprisingly, she could not.

"Sakura?" he prompted, the questioning light in his eyes unmistakable. "Tell me."

She smiled slightly as she touched the pendant again. "I didn't think you'd keep it for so long. But I'm glad you did."

He eyed her consideringly and then murmured a neutral, "Hm."

"Hey, what is that?"

Sakura glanced down to find a water-logged Ryo staring curiously at the pendant. Then, reminded of how Itachi had gotten to this state, she told her son, "I think you owe your father an apology, Ryo-chan."

A sheepish look immediately crossed his face. "Sorry, Otou-san."

"Hm," was Itachi's only response before he pulled on his damp top. As he glanced towards the sky, he murmured, "Perhaps it is enough training for the day."

"That's it?" Ryo whined dejectedly.

"You have done well so far," Itachi praised quietly.

The boy blinked, and then grinned, dejection forgotten.

Nudging Ryo towards the exit of the training ground, Sakura said, "It's late, anyway. And you need to go home and warm up."

000

* * *

000

The three of them backtracked without further pause. Just as they passed the gates to the training grounds, Itachi wondered if he should return to his own home, but then decided that he would rather spend more time with Sakura and Ryo. Besides, he was certain that his current clothing would dry soon.

He glanced to the side to Sakura, who was busy chastising Ryo about getting his entire person wet when he could have just as easily extinguished the fire by dipping his arm in the water.

"And you'd better not catch a cold after this," Sakura went on as she walked alongside the boy.

Smiling slightly at her protective concern, Itachi shifted his attention further down, to find Ryo grinning at his mother, completely unbothered by the telling off. The boy had probably experienced various versions of the same chastisement many times before. It struck Itachi then that he would have liked to see Ryo grow up to be the boy he was now. However, regrettable as it was, the past could not be changed, and he would have to do his best with their future now.

"I'm fine, Okaa-san."

Despite his grin, Itachi could tell that Ryo was weary. It showed in the way his shoulders sagged and in his paler-than-usual complexion. It was hardly surprising, considering that the boy had managed to learn and execute the Uchiha signature jutsu in mere hours. Such a thing required a high level of concentration and effort, and Itachi easily admitted that he was proud that Ryo had succeeded in pulling it off.

The sun was just setting when they finally reached her apartment. Once inside, Sakura ushered Ryo into the bathroom, before turning her attention to him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on his body. He knew he had been soaked earlier, but the worst of the water had dried up during their journey here. It was just as well, because otherwise, he would be dripping water on her living room floor. He doubted that she would appreciate it.

"You need to get out of those clothes," she announced.

Itachi did not miss the sudden flush of her cheeks when she realized how she had worded her sentence. His body instantly reacted, heating up inside even though he was careful to keep his expression even. The desire for her was clearly there. And yet, he would not rush her until she was ready, despite his physical responses to her now and yesterday when she had fallen asleep in his arms. And since he had no intention of leaving Konoha, at least not without her, he had plenty of time to properly seduce her this time.

Suppressing a smile at the prospect, he addressed her question, "That is not necessary."

A frown of disapproval chased away the pinkness in her cheeks. "Itachi, you're wet all over."

"I have experienced worse," he replied mildly, laughter bubbling within him when her lips thinned in response. Perhaps he would have given in sooner, if not for the fact that it was rather amusing to tease her.

"You will take a shower," she ordered in an uncompromising tone. "While I place your clothes in the dryer."

Not willing to give in so soon, he returned softly, "Will you be joining me?"

He watched with male satisfaction when her cheeks reddened anew, this time followed by a spark of heat in her eyes. Predictably, there was an answering flash of desire coursing through him at the sight. Perhaps waiting was overrated. Perhaps it was pointless to take things slowly. Because all he felt like doing now was to pull her into his arms and show her just now much he needed her.

The silence between them stretched as they continued to stare at each other. Sakura was now biting her lower lip, drawing his eyes to the enticing motion.

The next thing he knew, he was standing right before her, his hands framing her face as his lips descended upon hers. A heated gasp brushed him just before he made contact, sending another rush of desire through him. She opened up for him, eagerly and passionately, responding to his kiss like she had always done. He felt humbled at times by the sheer intensity of her reactions to his touches. Still, he supposed it could be considered fair, since he was just as affected as she was.

He did not recall doing so, but the next thing he knew, his hands were sliding down her neck till he cupped her intimately, bringing forth a needy moan from her. Her fingers were now digging into his back, pressing him closer against her, trapping his hands between their bodies.

A moment later, a muted clattering sound broke into the haze of his passion, causing him to reluctantly relinquish his hold on Sakura. In turn, she made a sound of protest, before taking a step back.

Itachi felt his body burn with unrelieved desire as he watched Sakura licked her now-swollen lips, her eyes flicking towards the bathroom Ryo was currently occupying.

"He must have dropped something," she murmured.

"Aa."

Her eyes darted back to him. "Um… About the shower…"

"Yes, I should shower. Alone," he interjected smoothly. As much as he wanted to, this was not an appropriate time for such an interlude. Ryo could interrupt at any moment, after all.

Sakura's disappointment was clear in the way she blinked away from him, her previously flushed cheeks paling visibly. "Oh, okay."

Heartened by the fact that she desired him as much as he desired her, he reached out to pull her close, before lowering his lips to her ears. "Do not assume that we are done, Sakura. We will resume this… tonight."

When he drew back, Sakura was already biting her bottom lip, her complexion once again reddening. However, she managed to keep her voice steady when she said, "So, why don't you head for the shower in my room? It won't take long for your clothes to dry."

Deciding that it would be prudent to obey, he nodded and proceeded to make his way to her room. As he did so, he began to undress by pulling his damp top off.

And when he heard the sharp intake of Sakura's breath, his lips curved into a smile.

He could hardly wait for the night to arrive.

000

* * *

000

Quietly, Sakura pulled Ryo's room door shut, not that anything could wake the boy now that he was fast asleep. Considering the long day they have had, it was not surprising that Ryo had crashed into bed right after dinner, although it was an hour or two before his usual bedtime. It meant that she and Itachi finally have some time to themselves.

She stepped away from the door until her living room came into sight. Itachi was seated on the couch, a pot of steaming tea and two teacups in front of him on the low table.

She had to forcibly tamp down the rush of anticipation and desire at the recollection of what Itachi had told her earlier. It had been so long, but that did not mean that she had forgotten the physical attraction between them. In fact, right now, she felt positively starved for it.

Still, there was something else she should address before she gave in to the urge to sexually maul him. Because if she started it, there would be no stopping things until who-knew-when. They had years of missing action to catch up on, after all. So, it was best that she dealt with the more serious topic which had cropped up today before she indulged herself.

Settling on the couch beside him, she asked, "So, what did Kakashi want you for?"

Itachi took a sip of tea before replacing it on the coffee table in front of them. "It is related to the so-called invasion."

Her brows rose. "So-called?" she prompted, confused.

"It is merely a ruse."

Comprehension dawned. "The invasion is not real?" she blurted.

Itachi shook his head. "It is merely a rumor spread to incite Shiraishi into taking some action while we spy on him."

Her eyes widened. "Spy? Konoha is sending someone to Yugakure to spy on Shiraishi?"

"Aa."

"Who is going?"

His eyes relayed the seriousness of the matter before he told her, "This is confidential, so I trust you not to speak of it to anyone else." At her nod, he continued, "Those who will remain there as spies are Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji and Yamashiro Aoba. Namiashi Raido, Uzuki Yuugao, Morino Idate and Uzumaki Naruto will be their backup."

"Naruto?" She tensed when she realized that her name was not amongst those selected for this task. Her old insecurity reared its ugly head, even though she tried to tamp it down. "Why aren't I deployed as well?"

Itachi's eyes darted in the direction of Ryo's room. "You are needed here with Ryo."

"I see." And then something occurred to her. "You remember how all those villages back in Spring Country had this barrier that prevents strangers from walking in?" At his nod, she continued, "Shiraishi could have done the same thing to Yugakure. How are they going to get in?"

"The spies will ambush any likely targets outside the compound and assume their identities. Then our operatives simply have to make their own judgment as to what would be the best way to gain access."

She frowned slightly in concern. The whole plan seemed so risky. "Maybe I should go anyway. I might be able to sense something."

He shook his head once, resolutely. "No. And this is not only because of Ryo. Shiraishi Kenji is actively finding a way to capture you. It would be foolish for you to simply turn up at his doorstep."

She sighed out loud in frustration. Being left out of the action did not sit well with her at all. She should be out there, seeing that she was most familiar with Yugakure. Perhaps there was still some way in which she could help them.

"You need to be careful, as does Ryo," Itachi insisted, as if sensing the direction of her thoughts.

She waved a dismissive hand. "You don't have to worry about me. And Ryo has ANBU watching him when we're not."

"Do not take this lightly, Sakura," he warned.

And as simple as that, she was reminded of the last time he had issued a warning towards her, and how she had brushed his concerns away. She almost winced as the unpleasant memory of being attacked and tortured by Root came back to her. That was the last time she had heard him use this tone on her and she had subsequently ignored him, much to her own detriment.

Clearly, Itachi was thinking of the same thing, for he wore a troubled expression when he said, "Back then, I knew what to expect with Root. Shiraishi Kenji, however, is unpredictable." He inhaled deeply, as if to mute his emotions. "It was fortunate that Ryo… survived the encounter with Root."

Refusing to allow the torturous images she had buried deep in her subconscious to surface and take hold of her, she admitted somberly, "It was not all luck. The Shinjutama protected Ryo, I think."

Clearly surprised, Itachi raised a brow. "The Shinjutama?"

Oh, he did not know, she realized. Well, it was not as if they had much opportunity to have a discussion of that nature all those years ago. Glancing down, she placed a hand on her midsection and began to explain, "I had a vial of Shinjutama with me when they attacked. There were ten fresh fragments."

Itachi's eyes widened in realization. "You embedded them in your body."

Not proud of her actions, she nodded grimly. "Yeah. Two of the fragments were inserted here." She pressed a palm to her midsection. "The protective barrier around the fragments was still intact, so I guess they must have guarded Ryo. Because I noticed that the areas on my body where I placed the Shinjutama remained unharmed."

Itachi said nothing, but it was clear from the contemplative expression on his face that he was mulling over her words. Did he blame her for putting their unborn son in danger? Would this affect how he felt towards her?

Sighing inwardly, she glanced down to study the hands clasped on her lap.

"Were there side effects?"

"Side effects?"

"Side effects in placing the Shinjutama in your body. In using its powers?"

The question was worded softly, but Sakura grimaced. Yeah, Itachi would know about side effects, wouldn't he? He had lived through it once. And yes, nothing came free. The Shinjutama did not give power without demanding a form of recompense.

"Sakura?"

She looked up, immediately noticing that he was frowning in concern. Knowing that he had every right to ask, she took a deep breath and replied, "As you know, the Shinjutama can protect. What I found out towards the end of my research was that the Shinjutama can also be used as a sort of offensive tool. It works by storing my chakra, and then enhancing the potency. So when I run out of chakra, I can call upon the reserve that was stored in the stones."

Itachi's expression was guarded. "Such a thing sounds… useful."

"Yeah," she admitted. "It is, at times. Until I realized that after each time I use it, I'm effectively drained afterwards. At first, I thought it was just the usual battle exhaustion. Then I noticed that the more I use it, the longer it takes for me to recover."

By this point, Itachi was frowning. But he said nothing, allowing her to continue. She glanced away from him, fixing her eyes on a decorative scroll at the opposite wall as she thought of what she wanted to tell him next.

"It occurred to me to remove them, but each time I think of it, I'm afraid that there might be an occasion when I would really need to use them. So that's why they are still inside me. I try not to use them unless it is an emergency and I don't have any other option." She inhaled deeply. "Because I think that at some point, I might be permanently damaged by it if I'm not careful."

A pair of strong arms slid around her, pulling her into his lap such that they were face to face. "You're not to draw its strength again," he told her.

She could hardly fail to notice the concern in his expression, but her lips quirked wryly at his uncompromising tone. "Is that an order, Taichou?" she asked softly, reaching up to run her finger down the back of his neck.

His onyx eyes sparked with heat as she continued to caress him, but his voice remained steady. "If it needs to be so to make you listen."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, Itachi. I won't use it carelessly. There's a lot at stake now."

"Hm."

Not knowing how they had arrived at this topic, and not particularly wishing to continue it, Sakura leaned forward to murmur against his lips, "Did I tell you how much I missed you?"

Eyes locked onto hers, he shook his head. And she was glad that he seemed to accept the change of topic so easily.

"Well, I'm telling you now." Brushing her lips against his, she declared softly, "I miss you, Itachi. Very much."

"Prove it."

She stilled at his words, not certain what to make of them, and then drew back slowly. Only to be greeted by a challenging smirk and a familiar gleam of passion in Itachi's eyes. Something seemed to burst within her then, something warm and fuzzy and it made her want to laugh out loud.

"You're on, Uchiha."

And with that, she jumped to her feet and proceeded to haul him to her bedroom.

000

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000

Itachi blinked slowly, chasing away the last vestiges of sleep from his mind.

Unlike the mornings of the past two weeks he had spent in Sakura's apartment, where he had awakened to the delicious warmth of Sakura's body close beside his, this morning, Itachi found himself on edge as his eyes opened fully. Something was nagging at his consciousness, something which forced him into complete wakefulness to stare at the streak of morning sunlight staining the wall opposite the bed.

Perhaps this was because despite the rapidly approaching date of the supposed 'invasion', Yugakure had so far shown no reaction. Three of the team of six trusted shinobi had reported back just several days ago with the news that there were nothing unusual happening in Spring Country. Such a thing surely did not bode well for Konoha's plans, for it only meant that they had failed to prod Shiraishi Kenji into action.

Unless, of course, Shiraishi had managed to keep his retaliatory plans under wraps even with the three Konoha spies mingling around his headquarters, having assumed the identities of three Yugakure shinobi.

Since those three Yugakure shinobi had been brought to Konoha, Ibiki had managed to gather that they were jounin, working relatively closely to their new leader, but all of them only possessed limited knowledge of what Shiraishi had planned for their village. It would seem that Shiraishi trusted no one, even his own shinobi, which made it even more difficult for outsiders to make an assessment of his potential moves.

At least, that was what the interrogator had discerned as of yesterday morning. Ibiki had mentioned calling in Yamanaka Inoichi to execute a high level mind probe. By now, such a measure could have been completed and more information was available.

Intending to find out, Itachi sat up. His movement stirred the pink-haired woman beside him, and she snuffled sleepily, bringing a smile to his lips.

"Where are you going, 'Tachi?" she murmured.

"Just going out briefly," he told her. "Sleep."

He donned a fresh mesh shirt and jounin pants, clothing that he had left there a week ago. Even though they had gotten back together only a couple of weeks ago, he noted with some amusement that some of his personal belongings had found a place in Sakura's apartment.

Perhaps it was time for them to move in together, either here or at his place.

With that pleasant notion playing on his mind, he walked out of the room and headed towards the kitchen for a glass of water.

He had only reached the doorway when something on the kitchen table caught his attention, bringing a slight frown to his brow. A piece of paper was placed on surface, weighted down with an empty cup stained with chocolate milk. There were a couple of carefully, but untidily scrawled lines on its surface.

_Training with Tenten-sensei this morning. Will be back in the afternoon. Ryo. _

Itachi frowned thoughtfully. He thought that he had seen the dark-haired jounin leave for a mission two days ago. Perhaps the mission had been completed and she had returned to Konoha since then.

Still, something felt… off.

Deciding that it was best not to alarm Sakura before he confirmed the facts, he returned the note to the table.

Instinct told him that he should assure himself that Ryo was truly training at the moment. And since he had nothing better to go on, he planned on obeying his instinct fully.

Still, he could not be searching each individual training ground. There were far too many within Konoha for him to search speedily, therefore he decided that it was best to confirm certain facts first.

It was this decision that brought him to the Hokage's office.

The ANBU on duty inclined his head in greeting as he approached.

"Taichou."

"Kouga," he returned.

The ANBU told him, "The Hokage is inside."

Itachi proceeded to knock on the door. At the Shichidaime's call to enter, he pushed the wooden door open and stepped in. The Hokage was seated behind his desk, an open report splayed in front of him.

"You're early today," a drowsy-looking Kakashi commented. "Have I forgotten something?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

Kakashi blinked once, slowly. "Did something happen?"

"I wish to locate the jounin sensei named Tenten."

"Tenten?" Kakashi raised a brow. "Why?"

Ignoring the Hokage's question, Itachi pressed, "Is she in Konoha?"

"No, she hasn't returned from her mission yet."

His answer sent a shock of ice-cold fear shooting through Itachi. If she was not in Konoha, then who was it that Ryo had followed to this so-called training session? Who had managed to infiltrate Konoha so thoroughly that no one suspected?

Clearly wary now, Kakashi asked, "Why?"

Itachi took a deep, but discreet, breath in an attempt to ensure that his voice remained steady. Despite the potential nightmare that was looming, he had to keep calm.

But there was no hiding the worry which tinged his words when he said, "Ryo could be in trouble."

000

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000

A/N: And that's it for this chapter. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: This chapter is so late that it not even a bit funny. Still, I apologize, since I know how frustrating it is waiting for fanfiction to be updated. I've been busy with real life. There is a new addition to my family, a baby now 3 months old. Between the baby and my 2 year old boy, I find it very difficult to sit down and write. It will be a while before I can update again. Anyway, here's the next chappie now. I know I said that this would be the final chapter, but it's actually the preultimate one. There's one more to go and that should be it. Well, hope you'll enjoy this…

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 15**

It was mid morning in Konoha when Sakura woke up to find the apartment empty of all occupants except for herself. Blinking blearily, she sat up and proceeded to go through her morning ablutions, her motions automatic in her groggy state.

It was not until she walked into the kitchen that it occurred to her to wonder where her son and Itachi were.

Then, as if in answer to her unspoken question, a note on the kitchen table caught her attention. The untidy scrawl across the paper and a ring of chocolate milk stain gracing a quarter of its surface identified it as a note Ryo had written.

She scanned the note, shaking her head slightly when she realized that Ryo had gone training again. Truly, that boy seemed to possess a never-ending amount of energy. She had never heard him complain about training, ever. It was difficult to imagine herself with that sort of enthusiasm at his age, so that particular trait clearly came from Itachi.

The sound of the front door opening caught her attention and made her turn away to walk to the living room, eager to greet Itachi. However, the smile on her face died when she took in the sight of the grim expression on him. For the usually stoic man to exhibit such an open display of emotion must mean that something had gone horribly wrong.

"What's the matter?" she asked cautiously as she closed the distance between them.

Itachi said nothing, simply eyeing her watchfully. She had a feeling that he was thinking through what he might say to her, mentally measuring his words. And the fact that he was doing so made her insides sink with trepidation. Was it something to do with Ryo? Or Naruto? Kakashi? Or one of her other friends? She wished he would just spit it out and end the suspense.

When he continued to remain silent, she reached out to touch the arm closest to her. "Tell me," she urged, striving to keep her voice calm even though that was the last thing she felt. "Don't sugarcoat things. Just tell me."

Itachi's eyelids fluttered shut momentarily, and when they opened, she sucked in a sharp breath at the glimmer of fear and anxiety in his dark orbs. But before she could say anything, the Uchiha parted his lips and spoke.

"Ryo is… missing."

She heard those words, but she could only blink stupidly at him. The meaning did not register at first.

But when it sank in, a cold wash of horror crashed over her.

"W-What?" she breathed out disbelievingly, struggling to make sense of the implications of Itachi's words. Missing as in no one could find him? As in Ryo was not in Konoha? "What do you mean, missing? He's training with Tenten, isn't he? He left a note in the kitchen."

A strained expression flashed across Itachi's face. "No. Tenten is not in the village. Ryo must have followed an imposter."

Her shaky hand shot to her lips, her rounded eyes darting to the kitchen where she had last seen the note before returning to the man in front of her. "No," she choked out, not wanting to believe what she was hearing but knowing that it was entirely possible. There was no need to speculate who was responsible for this, because as far as she knew, only one person wanted to get his hands on them.

Her hand fell off Itachi's arm as he moved past her to the couch, where he sat down with his elbows resting against his knees. The furrows between his brows were deep, as were the ones under his eyes, betraying his anxiety. His eyes were staring at the picture-laden wall straight in front of him, clearly not seeing the pictures, but instead, lost in his thoughts.

Her movements were stiff when she went to stand closer to him, her mind whirring with questions. She could not bear the thought of Ryo in Shiraishi's hands. After everything that had happened, who knew what the leader of Yugakure would do to her son? It has something to do with their bloodline, clearly, but what? She did not know enough about their history to even guess what Shiraishi might want with them.

Before panic could overcome her, she took a deep breath to force herself to view this situation as objectively as possible. To think of what could be done.

"It is Shiraishi, isn't it?" she finally ventured.

Itachi gazed up at her, taking a moment to respond, "That is most likely."

Hearing the confirmation did not make her feel better. "So what is this, retaliation for the announcement of the attack?"

"Perhaps." Itachi ran a hand through his hair, displaying his agitation. "It is doubtful that we will understand his motivation simply from our spies. All we learnt is that Shiraishi is very cautious. Or perhaps, he has no intention of making himself the enemy of Konoha just yet. The only thing we know for sure is that he has always been after you and Ryo. He must have some agenda of his own."

"Then we have to face him directly," she burst out determinedly. "I don't care what he wants but he cannot have Ryo!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not be foolish, Sakura."

Her temper flared. "Foolish? How else could we get Ryo back?"

"Charging blindly into Yugakure will not assure a successful retrieval of the boy," he pointed out.

"I won't be charging blindly into the village. I _know_ Yugakure. I lived there, remember?" she shot back impatiently, even as the voice in her mind reminded her that Yugakure had seemed different the last time she had stood in front of its gate. "I can get in on my own."

Itachi's expression hardened, but his tone remained mild as he dictated, "You will not do such a thing."

She ground her teeth together, further annoyed by his calm words. "This is not a mission you're running, Itachi. This is personal. We're talking about my son here."

"He is also my son."

His icy words brought her up short.

It was not so much that she had _forgotten_ who Ryo's father was, but she had operated as a lone parent for so long that she had not thought to consider how Itachi might feel. And now that she thought about her careless wording, remorse coursed through her. Because although nothing gave him away, she knew enough of him to understand that he felt slighted by what she had just said. She had just unwittingly excluded him, something which she had been guilty of for the past six years or so.

Wanting to make amends, she knelt down in front of him, tentatively placing her hand on his knee. His eyes roamed her face, but his expression was unreadable, shuttered. It was clearly a defense mechanism. She hated that he had found it necessary to shield himself from her, but this time, she had no one to blame but herself. In her fear, she had lashed out at him unfairly.

Contrite, she said, "I'm sorry, Itachi. I didn't mean to imply that you don't care."

He blinked once before he nodded slightly, acknowledging her apology. "You are simply worried."

She exhaled loudly. "Yes. But that doesn't excuse me, though." And then, realizing something, she added, "We need to tell Kakashi."

"He already knows. I went to him a couple of hours ago, when I suspected that something was amiss. We have sent a number of ANBU to search through Konoha since then, and they only confirmed that Ryo was nowhere to be found."

"So what now?" she asked. "Since you've seen Kakashi, you must have come up with a plan, haven't you?"

Her eyes followed him as he stood up, pulling her up along with him. "That is why I returned here. The Hokage wishes to speak to both of us together."

And with that, they left the apartment.

000

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000

It did not surprise Itachi that the meeting with Kakashi had not progressed as smoothly as he had hoped. In fact, he had foreseen this event. The event being Sakura storming out of the Hokage's office, fully intent on putting as much distance as possible between them. He knew her well enough to expect this reaction when he had advised the Hokage to keep Sakura in Konoha while allowing others to handle the retrieval of her son.

Unfortunately, the Hokage disagreed with him.

And right now, as he was about to leave the Hokage's office, the silver-haired leader of Konoha stalled him, "I'd allow her some time to simmer down, if I were you."

Pausing at the door, Itachi glanced over his shoulder. "You know she'd be driven by her emotions. Why allow her to participate?"

A heavy sigh rang through the air. "You should know that there's no stopping her when it comes to this. It better that we do it this way than risk Sakura running off alone. At least she will have a team with her this time."

"Shiraishi could be using Ryo as bait. Sakura could be the one he actually wants," Itachi pointed out tersely. "As the Hokage, she has to obey your orders."

Out of the periphery of his vision, Itachi could see Kakashi shake his head slowly. "Even so, Sakura will not stay back. Trust me on this, Uchiha."

Itachi turned away, irritated by the recognition that Kakashi was most likely right, but still unable to accept that Sakura had been given leave to undertake such a risky mission. However, it was pointless to argue now. All he could do was to lead the mission in such a way that any risk to Sakura was minimized.

"Is there anything else, Hokage-sama?" he asked pointedly, not even glancing back. At this point, he simply wished to leave this room as soon as possible so that he could catch up with a certain furious kunoichi.

Another sigh rang through the air, and then Kakashi said, "Go. I will brief the rest of your team while you smooth things out with Sakura. Meet at the gate in three hours."

Itachi nodded, and then let himself out of the room.

Despite the Hokage's advice to allow Sakura to calm down, Itachi had no intention of doing so. Time was of the essence here, and they had to communicate in order to run an effective mission. Despite his objections to her participation, he knew that to argue at this point would only cause further delay. Therefore, he would accept that she would be part of the team and plan accordingly.

Also, there was something else he needed to speak to her about, considering the nature of this mission. He had coped with the handicap before this, but he was not willing to risk it for this particular mission. To carry out an effective search and rescue, he needed to have all his faculties working at full capacity.

She was nowhere in sight when he exited the Hokage's Tower. Deciding that she would most likely return to her apartment to pack, Itachi moved swiftly along the familiar route, taking to the air to avoid the pedestrians.

He caught up with her just as she was opening the door to her apartment. In her agitation, her key grated loudly against the lock as she shoved it in. He could see her entire body tense, no doubt in preparation for a confrontation, when she realized that he was there.

"Sakura."

Spinning around to face him, she snapped, "I can't believe that you want me to stay back in Konoha while Ryo is in danger."

"I merely did not want you to risk yourself as well."

"Well, the Hokage didn't have a problem with it, now, did he?" she shot back, pushing the door open to stride in.

Itachi wanted to say that the Hokage was clearly biased when it came to his previous students, but he knew that it would not go down well. So, following her inside and closing the door behind him, he said calmly, "If I cannot persuade you to remain behind, then we need to meet the rest of the team and discuss the mission."

Sakura continued to glare at him for a while longer, and then asked, "Who else do you have in mind aside from Raido, Yuugao, Idate and Naruto?"

"The Hokage agreed that Sai and Kouga should be included."

She frowned, clearly realizing that he had picked the two available ANBU operatives that she was most familiar with when it came to teamwork. "The team structure?" she asked briskly.

"I will lead Raido, Yuugao and Naruto. Sai will lead a team comprising of Kouga, Idate and you. I believe this is a formation you're quite used to."

There was a brief pause before she muttered, "Right."

He could see that she was surprised by his choices. But he had not made the decision without reason. Raido, Yuugao, Naruto and Idate had just returned not too long ago from their spy mission in Yugakure, therefore, they were the best candidates for this task due to their familiarity with the territory. Since such search and retrieve missions usually involved a forward attack team and a backup team, he would take three of them with him in a forward attack formation, leaving one to join Sakura in the backup team. Itachi knew that when Sakura discovered her actual role, she would be angry, more so because her old teammate Naruto would be in the other team. But Naruto and his ability to create numerous bunshins made it essential for him to be in the frontlines for distraction purposes, while Sakura was to remain safe to provide medical backup should the need arise.

Besides, it was usually not recommended for two people who were involved with each other to work in the same team. There were too many emotions involved for objectivity to prevail.

His gaze followed her as she walked to her bedroom, not missing the way her earlier anger was gradually dissipating. He hoped that she would not remain angry for long. Surely she knew that he only objected because he did not wish for her to endanger herself.

As if reading his mind, she called out from the bedroom, "I can take care of myself, you know."

Itachi sighed softly before he went to stand by the door, watching her throw her weapons, medical kit and spare clothing into her small waist pouch. He should return home to pack soon after this conversation as well.

Closing her pack, she straightened to look straight at him. "Keeping quiet won't make this go away, you know?" she pointed out with a scowl.

"I only wish for you to be safe, Sakura," he told her mildly. "The conversation earlier was not intended to be a slight upon your abilities."

She huffed, and then walked up to him. Once they were standing close, he could see the glimmer of hurt in her eyes. And that made him wonder if he might have approached this situation wrongly. He did not wish to injure her feelings, especially considering the fragile state of their renewed relationship.

In a quiet voice, she told him, "You need to trust me a little. Besides, you cannot expect me to stay back and wait for news. This is Ryo, my… _our_ _son_. I need to do something."

"And you will," he relented. "We will depart in less than three hours."

"What about the rest?"

"The Hokage will brief them, and we will meet at the gates."

A determined expression flashed across her features. "Good. I don't want any more delay."

"I will return home to gather my belongings shortly." Now that a full-blown quarrel was averted, it was prudent for him to broach the other topic. "However, before we leave, there is something you need to do first."

"What is it?"

Itachi took a moment to consider his words, and then decided that it was pointless to be anything but blunt. "You may recall executing a jutsu on me years ago, on the day we parted in Spring Country."

She blinked once, clearly confused. "What jutsu?"

Itachi suppressed the urge to scowl. His inability to differentiate individual identities by their chakra had been something which had irked him for years, and yet, this woman had no inkling that she had succeeded in disrupting his skills.

"You tampered with my mind," he reminded her.

Her eyes widened in recollection. "That didn't work, though."

"It did, in a fashion."

Her surprise was evident. "W-What?"

Lips quirking at the corners at her reaction, he said, "You underestimate your own abilities, Sakura. Your jutsu disrupted my ability to differentiate the chakra signature of individuals."

Blanching, she muttered, "Oh… that wasn't my intention at all." She blinked once, twice, and then her eyes narrowed in exasperation. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? How have you been able to tell who is who without that ability?" she almost shrieked, her voice rising in tandem with her agitation.

"Calm down, Sakura," he interjected, amused by her tirade. "My other faculties are functioning adequately enough."

She snorted inelegantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's your pride, isn't it? You were too proud to ask me to fix it."

Itachi decided that it was best to answer that particular question with silence.

In response to that, Sakura rolled her eyes and gestured to the couch. "Sit down. I'll see what I can do."

He lowered himself to the couch. Without delay, she sat down beside him and placed her hands against the sides of his head. A soft vibrating sensation followed the surge of chakra she pressed into his mind, causing him to stiffen involuntarily even though there was no one he trusted more than her. It was simply a conditioned response to the proximity of someone else's chakra so close to him, in such a vulnerable position.

The furrow between Sakura's brows grew deeper as she continued to concentrate, making him wonder with some concern if the jutsu could be reversed in the first place. He supposed he would simply have to live with the handicap if that was the case, despite the inconvenience. After all, it would not be the first time he had to live with some sort of handicap.

"Ha!"

He raised a brow in question.

Her frown clearing, Sakura beamed at him as she explained, "It's just a minor disruption. So small I almost couldn't find it."

"It can be fixed?"

She nodded, taking her hands off his head to shake them loosely by her side and then clenching them slowly as if to improve the circulation. "It won't take long at all."

And with that, she returned her hands to him.

The intensity of her probing chakra was stronger this time, more focused on the problem area, he guessed. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to relax and allowed her to continue to work on him. He was relieved that he would soon be able to utilize his senses fully, for such a thing would be useful in the search for Ryo.

Still, Shiraishi's unknown agenda was a definite source of worry, as without that information, Itachi could not work out what else he might offer the leader of Yugakure in exchange for Ryo should the primary plan failed. He had nothing to bargain with.

The withdrawal of Sakura's chakra from his head broke into his chain of thought, causing him to lift his eyes to her. She was a little flushed from the effort, but there was a satisfied gleam in her eyes.

"It's done!" she announced. "You're as good as new."

He smiled slightly at her exuberance. "Thank you."

She shot to her feet, reaching to pull him up beside her. "Now let's go to your place to pack. It's time we find our son."

_Our son_.

Itachi nodded. He could not agree more.

000

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000

It had taken them two and a half days, travelling at full speed fueled mainly by soldier pills, to reach Spring Country. The journey to that country had never felt so long before, even though she knew that she was simply impatient, because she recalled that it usually took around three days in the past. They had actually made good time, but were they in time to rescue Ryo from whatever Shiraishi had in mind for him?

The thought of her son in danger caused a rush of fear to jolt through her. What if Ryo was already hurt? What if Shiraishi was torturing her little boy? Damn it, she should have kept a closer eye on Ryo. She should have guessed that Shiraishi would try to get him from Konoha.

"Don't panic, don't panic," she muttered under her breath.

"Said something, Hag?" Sai asked quietly.

She glanced over her shoulder. Sai was right behind her, in the shadowed crevices under a cliff peppered with numerous such openings and larger caves, while Kouga and Idate were some distance away in the forest adjacent to the cliffs. The latter were far enough that she could not see them.

She ground her teeth together as she dragged her eyes back to the direction where Itachi and the rest of the search team had disappeared to earlier that day. They were planning on catching up with Shino, Neji and Aoba, the three Leaf ANBU who were still in disguise within the walls of Yugakure. As far as they know, those three spies were not aware of this mission to rescue Ryo, but with luck, they might have spotted Ryo since they had been staying there as Yugakure nins. Providing they managed to find those three, the plan was for Itachi's team to attack and cause distraction while Shino, Neji and Aoba search the secured cells for Ryo.

Sakura scowled. The thought of Itachi's plan brought back the feeling of indignation and frustration that had exploded over her at the beginning of the day when she realized that her team would be left behind as backup, while Itachi went into Yugakure with his team. Itachi had deliberately kept the full plans to himself until daybreak this morning. It was only during the final rest stop at the border of Spring Country and Wind Country that he had calmly laid out their individual responsibilities in the overall plan. And as much as she had protested, the infuriating man had refused to give in, stating that since she was the lone medic there, it made sense that she remained together with the backup team.

Even as furious as she was, she had known better than to argue further when she caught the uncompromising glint in his onyx orbs. Itachi would not be swayed, no matter what she said, so she had been left with no choice but to obey.

She blew out an irritated breath. Fine, she would do as instructed, but it did not mean that she was happy with it.

Concerned about the passage of time, she glanced up at the sky, noting that dusk had fully descended. The lush forest they were hiding in was silent apart from the usual sounds of its wild inhabitants. There was no sign of approaching shinobi from either Konoha or Yugakure as far as she could tell. If everything went according to Itachi's strategy, Naruto would have created enough bunshins to bring utter chaos at the gates of Yugakure by now. She knew Naruto's technique well enough to imagine the spectacular confusion as the result of his technique and she had no doubt that in the mess, Itachi, Yuugao and Raido would be able to sneak in undetected. But they would not have much time to search before Shiraishi realized what was happening.

She could only hope that they would find the three spies, and in turn, find Ryo without too much trouble. The thought of any complications was just too much for her to take right now. As it was, she felt as if she was hanging precariously on a single, fragile thread of control over her mind and emotions.

"Sakura."

Her name was uttered so softly that she could barely hear it, but a fraction of a second later, she understood what had caused Sai to call out for her. Sakura immediately tensed in readiness, sensing Sai doing the same just behind her. Surreptitiously, her hand reached back to soundlessly draw her katana.

Something which looked like a white fog had materialized over them, where the air had been clear just seconds ago. It made the tall cliffs appear to melt into the clouds above. What was more alarming was the fact that the whiteness appeared to be drawing closer and closer to the ground, almost as if it was intent on swallowing them whole. There was also an increasingly heavy sense of nothingness, almost as if they were surrounded by a vacuum.

Eventually, the forest went completely still and quiet as the thick white mist filled their surroundings.

"Something's happening," he murmured.

She nodded once, fingers tightening around the hilt of her weapon as she sensed Sai perform his ink jutsu, presumably to send out some scouts so that they were not completely blind to their surroundings.

Then, a heavy pulse of chakra suddenly hit her, making her suck in a sharp, surprised breath as she braced herself. It was a teleportation jutsu, laced with something strangely familiar to her, but no less dangerous. Widening her stance, her gaze darted left and right to locate the source, but obscured by the white mist, it was impossible to tell what was going on.

"Someone's here," she murmured to Sai.

He made a muted sound of agreement.

Then, unexpectedly, the mist began to thin in one particular part of the forest, revealing a clear space about a hundred feet away. Although indistinct, one could see a human form appearing clearer and clearer as the mist progressively thinned in that small space. At the same time, the void which she had sensed melted away to reveal something very familiar to her.

It only took an instant for Sakura to recognize who was standing there. Heart thudding madly in her chest, she darted forward.

"Ryo!"

"Okaa-san!" came her son's voice as the mist cleared further to reveal him fully.

Steely fingers clamped around her upper arm, jerking her to a stop. "Don't, Sakura! It could be a trap," Sai warned urgently.

Blinded by everything but the need to go to her son, who was looking at her with his large, bewildered green eyes, she wrenched out of Sai's hold to continue rushing forward. Ryo was just standing there, his arms outstretched beseechingly. He was still dressed in his usual dark green garment, and from what she could see of his tiny form in the distance, he was physically unharmed but she could not be sure. Also, why was he just standing there? He made no move to run towards her, even though he was clearly pleased to see her.

"Come to me, Ryo!" she urged frantically, her steps slowing slightly as wariness seeped into her mind.

"Help me, Okaa-san!" Ryo cried out. "I can't move!"

Damn it, he must be bound with some kind of jutsu. Or perhaps he was injured after all. "Are you hurt, Ryo?" she called as she sped up once again towards him, cursing the distance between them.

The boy shook his head. "No."

"Sakura, stop!" Sai repeated tersely somewhere behind her.

She ignored him, intent only on reaching her son. However, just when he was at arm's reach, she slammed into an invisible barrier, drawing a harsh curse from her lips. "What the-?"

Ryo pointed downwards. "At my feet, 'Kaa-san!"

Then her eyes widened in realization when she caught sight of a chain of what appeared to be fist-sized Shinjutama forming a perimeter around her son. For a moment, she was stunned into immobility, and then she realized that if it was Shinjutama, then surely there was some way she could get past it. After all, she had managed to manipulate the gemstone in the past.

But before she could do anything, a prickle of unease at the back of her neck brought her short. Someone else was here.

"So, you finally deign to set foot in Spring Country," a smooth voice drawled flatly.

Sakura's eyes shot up to meet a pair of steely purple eyes set in a face framed by pink hair so pale that it was almost translucent. It was the leader of Yugakure, her cousin, casually walking out from the thick mist to stand a few paces behind Ryo. The white fog swirled around him, around his dark purple attire, almost as if it had originated from him in the first place.

"Shiraishi," she hissed furiously just as Sai caught up behind her, his fingers clamping around her elbow to restrain her. As far as she could tell, Idate and Kouga had remained away, out of sight, but she barely spared them another thought. Instead, her attention was fully on her cousin. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded to know.

Regarding her unwaveringly as he gestured a hand towards Ryo, he replied, "Trying to make sure that you come to me."

"He's just a child. Let him go, you bastard!" she shouted, incensed beyond belief that Shiraishi would sink so low as to use a small child like this.

A thin smile graced his lips. "Not so easy, Sakura. I need you here for a purpose."

"Sakura is here now. Why don't you release the boy?" Sai suggested mildly. "We can resolve the situation without involving innocents."

"I cannot simply release the boy just like that," Shiraishi refused, snapping his fingers as he dropped the smile. "Besides, it took quite an effort to infiltrate Konoha to get close to him. The village is very well protected." A meaningful expression crossed his face then. "However, I'm not an unreasonable person."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. What? He wanted to negotiate now? What the hell?

Before she could speak, Sai asked, "Then what do you want?"

"I'm open to a… trade."

"A trade," Sakura echoed. His meaning sank in a moment later. "You mean, I exchange myself for Ryo," she ventured cautiously.

Beside her, Sai warned, "Sakura, don't."

She ignored him. Instead she focused her attention on Shiraishi. She had failed her son so far, but she could do this if it meant that Ryo walk safely away. In the end, nothing else mattered more.

"So? Is that it?" she prompted. "Is that what you want?"

Smiling again, Shiraishi nodded. "Much as I wish to keep Ryo-chan with me to see what he is capable of, with the mix of the Shinju and the Uchiha bloodline, I prefer the trade. Your son will be released if you surrender yourself and do as I say."

This time, it was a scowling Sai who interjected, "No. There will be no such trade."

"Wait!" she hissed, pushing Sai back.

"'Kaa-san?" Ryo's plaintive voice broke through.

She shot him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ryo-chan." Then, turning back to Shiraishi, she asked, "What do you need me for?"

Shiraishi's purple eyes flickered past her to her teammate. "I'll explain once we are alone. I doubt… outsiders… will be interested in such topics."

Sakura hesitated, not knowing if she should trust him or not. But if she could get Ryo released without putting anyone else in harm's way, she would. And if Shiraishi wanted something from her, surely he would not kill her.

"You're not seriously considering this, Sakura," Sai bit out. "He's most likely lying. Besides, I can't let you go with him, Hag. Dickless will have our heads," Sai added flatly.

She shot him an impatient look. "Just keep Ryo safe." And with that, she took a step towards her cousin. "Let Ryo go and I'll come with you."

Ryo's eyes widened then, comprehending what was happening. "No, Okaa-san!"

"Drop your katana," Shiraishi instructed.

She dropped it, deciding that it was a weapon she could afford to lose. After all, her most lethal weapon was her bare hands.

"If you attempt to run, your son will be trapped in mere moments again," Shiraishi warned. "I've bonded a Shinjutama within him."

Anger flashed over her. "You didn't," she hissed.

Shiraishi seemed unconcerned. "It is in his lower back. A competent medic will be able to remove it." He extended a hand towards her. "So, what is your decision?"

"Sakura, no!" Sai ground out.

Ignoring her teammate, she tilted her head proudly. "I give my word. I won't run. Just release him, and I will go with you."

Shiraishi nodded. "So be it."

With a flick of Shiraishi's hand, the ring of Shinjutama around Ryo feet shifted. The Shinjutama orbs flew towards Shiraishi, who calmly enfolded the gemstones into a scroll.

"Go to Sai, Ryo. Now!" Sakura instructed sternly, needing her son to be out of harm's way.

Much to her horror, Ryo came straight at her, determination written all over his little face. Then in a flash, Sai had the boy in his arm.

"Thanks, Sai," she sighed in relief.

"No! Don't take her!" Ryo yelled, struggling against Sai's hold. "Okaa-san!"

Purposefully ignoring Ryo's cries for her and the resulting squeeze of emotion in her chest, Sakura held her head high and followed Shiraishi into the mist, away from her son.

000

* * *

000

Itachi grimaced as he scanned his surrounding, monitoring the progress of his team. They had just broken through the village's main perimeter about an hour ago, and were now within the outer ring of the village, which appeared to be occupied mainly by civilians and traders. These innocents were hiding in their buildings, clearly wise enough to stay out of the way of the Yugakure shinobi teams which were coming at them in waves.

Once they had broken through, he had summoned a crow to locate and brief the three spies within Yugakure. However, in the past hour, neither Shino, Neji nor Aoba had responded. This sent alarms ringing within Itachi. As competent as those shinobi were, he could not discount the possibility that they had been found out and apprehended. There were no other reasons for their silence, as far as Itachi could tell.

The plan had to be modified to include their rescue as well then.

Spread out in front of him were the three masked ANBU of his team. Naruto was utilizing his bunshin technique to handle the bulk of the attackers, disabling them one after another. Raido was using his black katana to slice through the opponents to the right of Naruto's group of clones, while Yuugao took care of those to the jinchuuriki's left.

They were making some progress, even though said progress was slower than what he had hoped for. Unfortunately, there were still a number of Yugakure nins which refused to be subdued. From their uniformly dark attire with the mask across their faces, it was clear that these were the specialists, the elite nins of Yugakure. Their description matched those who had attacked Sakura a few months ago. These particular Yugakure nins were difficult to defeat since none of the direct attacks seemed to pierce their flesh, something Itachi suspected had something to do with the Shinjutama. Sakura had mentioned similar difficulties when she had been attacked their comrades, and had concluded that the Shinjutama had offered them protection. The only technique that seemed to work were blows to the head to knock them unconscious or suffocation, but these required the Leaf ANBU to engage in close combat with the Yugakure nins, something which was not always possible.

Perhaps a little genjutsu would speed things up, or rather, slow their opponents' reactions down. It could allow the other Leaf nins to attack.

With that thought, Itachi swiftly executed the necessary seals for a high-level genjutsu. It took hold with barely a shift in the air, and a quick scan of the battle ahead told Itachi that he had succeeded in taking them unawares.

He was in the middle of executing a second layer of genjutsu when he became aware of Sai's ink mice approaching him. Pausing his technique, he then held out a hand for the mice. Once the mice reached his palm, it dissolved into small words forming a message from Sai.

'_Ryo is safe but __Sakura traded herself for him.'_

Iciness swamped him as the words sank in. The foolish girl, he thought with a mix of frustration and dread. Did this mean that Shiraishi had expected them? If so, they had just walked into a trap, he thought with displeasure.

Knowing that there was no time to waste, he completed the second stage of his genjutsu, effectively trapping the opponents, stilling their motions. The technique would not hold for long considering the number of opponents it had been cast upon, but it should be sufficient for the three Leaf ANBU to deal with them effectively before the technique dissipated.

"Namiashi," Itachi called out.

Raido dropped the Yugakure nin he had been strangling before turning his masked face around. "Yes, Taichou?"

"The genjutsu will not last long. Make sure that none remains conscious while I leave to locate Sakura."

Overhearing them, Naruto rushed towards him. Even though masked, Itachi could tell from the heightened tension in his body that the blond was worried. Considering their closeness, Itachi understood Naruto's concern. But what he did not need was for Naruto to give in to his emotions and charge in recklessly.

"What happened to Sakura?" the blond asked urgently.

"Shiraishi took her."

Naruto inhaled sharply. "WHAT?"

"Stay here and deal with these nins," Itachi instructed sternly, knowing that Naruto would want to search for Sakura himself. However, Itachi preferred to work alone in this.

"But-"

"Also, Shino, Neji and Aoba have not responded. It is possible that they have been imprisoned," Itachi interjected. "I will find them while the three of you handle things here."

"Yes, Taichou," Raido said with a resolute nod.

"We've got work to do here, Naruto," Yuugao called out. "Hurry up!"

Spinning away without another glance back at his teammates, Itachi expanded his newly repaired ability to track as he sped to the center of the village. Spreading the net of his consciousness, he tried to pick up on Sakura's presence.

He only hoped that whatever Shiraishi needed Sakura for, he needed her _alive_ for it. The alternative was not something he could bear to think about.

000

* * *

000

Sakura darted a cautious look out of the corner of her eyes.

Shiraishi had not spoken a single word to her since the exchange, but she was not fooled into thinking that he had forgotten her. A part of her, however, was tempted to make a run for it, but she had no idea just how strong Shiraishi was. She had to take into account that he was the leader of a shinobi village, and the skills of the masked shinobi he had sent after her previously. Both suggested that she would probably come out worse for wear in a one-to-one battle with Shiraishi. It would be better if she just wait and see how things went first, even though every bone in her body urged her to take action.

She exhaled loudly as the gates of Yugakure came into view. Much to her surprise, the gates were ajar, and she could see a couple of guards crumpled next to it and beyond it, the village. The Konoha nins were inside already, she thought as she darted a wary look at the silent shinobi beside her.

As if sensing her regard, he turned briefly towards her. "Your comrades are here, I see," he remarked without much concern.

Sakura did not quite know how to respond.

"Well, welcome to Yugakure," he said as he swept an arm in an arc.

Sakura blinked, finally taking in her surroundings. It was Yugakure, but it was a Yugakure she did not recognize. It was different from what she recalled from her stay here years ago.

A long time ago, before she was even born, Yugakure had been a small and secretive shinobi village. Following the devastation after the Second Great Ninja War and the supposed extinction of the ruling Shinju clan, it had been transformed from a shinobi village into a peaceful and prosperous civilian village specializing in tourism.

Then the peaceful lives of the civilians had been rudely interrupted when Danzou had decided to attack and take over the village, which had led to her posting in Yugakure all those years ago. Discovering that she had some Shinju blood in her, Danzou had wanted her to harvest the Shinjutama for his own nefarious use. So, the last she had been here, the village had just made the transition from being a tourist center back to a newly reformed shinobi village.

Now, the rustic touristy buildings were gone, replaced by stronger local stone buildings which could withstand attacks better than their wooden predecessors. The buildings remained intact, even though there were unconscious Yugakure nins scattered all over the ground. Nothing seemed damaged from Naruto's attack, at least, not from where she stood.

It occurred to her then that Itachi and the rest of the Leaf nins might still be inside, in which case, she should perhaps make a run for it.

She darted a look at her captor.

"Hm, perhaps we should be taking an alternate route," Shiraishi murmured thoughtfully, his steps slowing slightly. "It would not do to encounter your comrades."

To her confusion, he continued to sound remarkably unconcerned. But before she could say anything, he performed a swift series of seals and the next thing Sakura knew, she was trapped in a transportation jutsu, bringing in abrupt end to her ideas of running.

When she rematerialized, she blinked at the unfamiliar buildings surrounding her. Unlike what she had seen from the gates, there were no prone Yugakure nins scattered on the ground, which suggested that it was most likely better protected than the outer perimeter. When her gaze landed on a couple of masked nins patrolling the area, her eyes narrowed in recognition. They were clad in the same uniform as those nins who had attacked her months ago.

"Come."

Shiraishi brought her to a large stone, domed building guarded by two similarly masked shinobi on either side of the tall entrance door. At their approach, the guards bowed in greeting and opened the door.

Warily, she followed Shiraishi into the building, to find that she was in some sort of dimly-lit lobby with another door not far ahead. Her footsteps echoed lightly as she followed him, her eyes darting left and right to study her surroundings. The space here was unadorned by any kind of decoration, giving her no clue as to what this place was used for. Without pause, the leader of Yugakure proceeded on and entered the other door.

Grimly, she followed through, only to pause in surprise at the sight which greeted her.

The door opened up to a massive space ahead, its walls and roof merging as a dome overhead. Shinobi weapons of all forms lined the walls, displayed for all to see. She took note of where everything was, just in case she needed to 'borrow' the weapons. Up front, there was a raised area constructed out of a large flat slab of rock. Around it was smaller pieces of rocks which appear to function as stepping stones. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed the almost imperceptible pulse of chakra surrounding that area.

The large, triple-storey height room was not somewhere she had been before. In fact, like many other buildings, this one had not been here when she had left all those years ago. It must be another new addition made by Shiraishi, probably to celebrate his ascension to the leadership of Yugakure, she thought darkly.

Shiraishi paused once they were halfway across the room. "This is Yugakure's main hall. This is where we hold ceremonial events and most of our meetings. We rebuilt it based on the blueprint of the old building, back when Yugakure was still a fully functional shinobi village."

Surprised by his unexpected explanation, she glanced to the side to find him frowning slightly. Odd, he sounded almost wistful. But it was a fleeting thing, because the next moment, all expressions were wiped off his face as he strode towards the front of the hall, where the raised platform was.

He stepped lightly on the stones leading up to the platform, and proceeded to sit on one of the flat raised rocks set up there. Much to her surprise, he gestured for her to sit down on another rock nearby.

Eyeing him with increasing wariness, she shook her head. "No, thanks."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Why am I here?" she asked bluntly. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to talk to you about Yugakure and the Shinjutama."

Incredulous, she snapped, "You forced me here to talk about your village and the Shinjutama?" Her brows furrowed. "I don't understand how this concerns me."

"The Shinjutama doesn't concern you?" he asked mockingly. "That was not the impression I received seeing that you've extracted fragments from one of the main stones. You must have the Shinju blood within to be able to do so."

She could not refute his accusation, but it did not make her any more pleased to be here. So she threw back derisively, "And you? You were happy enough to assist Danzou with the same thing once I was out of the picture."

"Danzou?" A contemptuous sound left him. "The old man was a fool. He thought to use me to give him all the Shinjutama he wanted."

Sakura frowned, even more confused now. "You didn't?"

"Those I gave him have no more power than river pebbles." Shiraishi's eyes flared with something that could only be described as possessiveness. "That is _our_ heritage, Sakura, whether or not you're willing to accept it. Why should I give it to anyone willingly? The Shinjutama belongs to Spring Country, to Yugakure. Not Konoha."

Sakura blinked at his vehemence, still trying to process what it all means. Trying to understand where she stood with this volatile shinobi. Shiraishi seemed calm and pleasant at times, but his temper was clearly uncertain.

Shiraishi went on, "And _you_, like the Shinjutama, belongs to this country as well, not Fire Country."

Her annoyance flared. "I belong to no one. And Konoha is my home," she declared heatedly.

"I think it's time you switch your allegiance."

"Oh yeah?" She glared at him challengingly. "And I suppose you're going to be the one to force me to do so."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm asking you to do so willingly."

She snorted. "By kidnapping my son."

"I wouldn't have done so if you had cooperated in the first place."

"Cooperated?" she echoed disbelievingly. "You're a foreign nin. I owe nothing to you. Why should I cooperate?"

Shiraishi's purple eyes narrowed. "You're as foreign as I am in Yugakure."

"I am a Konoha nin!" she insisted.

"You're stubborn."

Shiraishi was crazy if he thought that she would willingly stay in Yugakure like an obedient child, just because her mother once belonged to this village. She had her own life to live, and it had nothing to do with Yugakure.

With that thought, she leapt backwards off the raised platform. "I've heard enough. I'm leaving."

"You're not leaving," he hissed as he straightened to his feet. "I will not allow it."

She raised a brow defiantly. It was clearly mad to fight him, but from what she could tell, she could either go down fighting or remain passively as his prisoner. And since passive was not exactly in her nature, fighting was her only other option.

"Try to stop me then," she challenged.

His eyes turned into angry, purple slits. "I will."

She backflipped swiftly until her motions brought her to a particular section of the room. Once there, she reached out and took hold of the hilt of a gleaming katana she had spotted earlier. It would tide her over until she could get close enough to him to execute her trademark techniques.

She had barely unsheathed the katana when blades of wind spun towards her. Sucking in a shocked breath at the unexpected speed of his attack, she dropped the katana and rapidly performed a series of seals.

"Doton: Doryuu Jouheki."

An earth wall erupted from beneath the stone floor, barricading her from the dangerous spinning wind blades. It was just in time, she thought as the barrier quaked from the force of his attack. Shiraishi was _fast_, and from the strength of his wind jutsu, she knew that he was at least on par with her, if not more skilled when it came to ninjutsu.

Grimly, she executed another series of hand seals.

"Fuuton: Sakura Chirimai!"

A wind vortex appeared, the pink petals of the sakura flower swirling in the ever increasing spin of the wind as it swept beyond her earth barrier towards Shiraishi. Without delay, she rushed behind it, relying on the swirl of flowers to hamper her opponent's vision as she focused on getting close enough to engage in a close-quarter combat.

She caught sight of his pale hair through the swirling petals. Tensing, she swung out with a roundhouse kick, powered by her tightly controlled chakra. To her satisfaction, her foot connected with flesh, but her ankle was quickly wrenched. Twisting to avoid an injury to her ankle, she rotated midair before landing a few steps away.

Without pause, she charged again, and both of them locked in a furious exchange of punches and kicks. She did not have time to plan her moves, only attack and counterattack. Shiraishi was faster than she had expected and very skilled at ninjutsu, but he still did not have her level of brute strength.

One hit. Just one hit, and she would gain the upper hand.

Then the opportunity opened up.

Fist glowing with chakra, she faked a punch, and when Shiraishi raised his arms to block, she retaliated with a chakra-enhanced kick to his midsection. To her satisfaction, she connected with flesh, sending her opponent flying.

Her wind jutsu finally subsided then, the petals settling on the stone floor allowing her to see Shiraishi straightening from the far end of the room. Even from this distance, she could see his eyes flash with fury. His expression sent a shiver of apprehension up her spine.

"It's clear that you won't see sense unless you have it beaten into you," he hissed.

Her chin lifted stubbornly. "Fortunately for me, it won't be _you_ doing the beating."

His response to her challenge was to execute a series of seals so rapidly that she could not even make out a single individual seal. Tensing, she brought her hands together in readiness to counter his attack.

It was only when a huge spray of water shot from the ground that she realized that Shiraishi's other element was water, which meant that her earth element jutsu would be useless against this attack.

As she executed a wind barrier to deflect the approaching water attack, her eyes widened in horror at the sight of steam wafting off the spray of water.

What the hell? It was _hot_?

She gritted her teeth, her muscles straining as she held fast to her wind technique as the hot water spray hit her barrier. Worse than his earlier wind jutsu, this one hit her barrier with an unexpectedly violent force. She felt her skin growing damp as the wet heat from the hot water spray seeped through her barrier.

The steam was growing thicker, swirling all around them, blinding her with its intensity. Shiraishi's attack was strong, and this technique was not anything she had encountered before in the usual water-jutsu opponents. Somehow, Shiraishi's water-jutsu consisted of hot water, instead of the usual cold water, so right now, she was in serious risk of being steamed alive.

It was at that moment that her barrier wavered for an instant. Gritting her teeth, she utilized all her strength to hold it in place, knowing that the consequences of failure would be dire.

But it was futile.

To her dismay, she felt it give way.

She immediately released the wind barrier and leapt backwards, even though she knew in her mind that she could not possibly outrun the water jutsu. It was too strong, too fast. And at any moment now, she would feel the scalding heat upon her skin. Her flesh would boil painfully, probably knock her unconscious such that she would not even be able to heal herself.

Still, she kept moving, not looking back.

A few seconds later, when the anticipated heat of the water failed to connect, she risked a glance over her shoulder.

Only to falter when she realized that Shiraishi had withdrawn the water jutsu.

Confusion swamped her. What the hell? Why did he stop? Why not follow through with the attack? But she could arrive at an answer to her questions, he was already preparing to launch another attack.

Her backward steps halted completely as realization dawned that at this rate, she would lose badly to her opponent. She had to swallow her pride and admit that Shiraishi was a stronger shinobi than she was. It was a bitter pill to take, but better to admit this now and take the necessary actions, than to lose and be vulnerable to Shiraishi.

And as reluctant as she was, she knew that there was only one thing she could do.

Without delay, she called forth the power of the embedded Shinjutama fragments within her. As it had done each time, power welled up inside her, eager to be released, eager to wreak destruction. A spike of alarm shot through her when she felt some of her control slip, before she regained her hold on the surge.

Across the room, Shiraishi's eyes widened. Even over the distance, she could perceive the horror in his eyes, something which unsettled her somewhat. It seemed that he understood what she was attempting to do.

However, she barely had time to wonder if his reaction was due to fear or some other thing when his stricken voice rang out through the space.

"Stop it! Are you out of your mind?"

Something in his tone forced her to stop to stare at him warily. "What? You're afraid you can't handle it?" she taunted.

His eyes narrowed immediately. "You have no idea what you're doing. Or what it can do to you."

She smirked bitterly. "Believe me, I know. But I'd do anything to get out of here in one piece."

"So you've done this before." Something flashed across his features. Was it anger? Shock? Horror? She could not tell. His voice, however, was terse when he spoke next. "This is not how the Shinjutama is meant to be used. You're no better than Danzou if you use it this way."

The words stung. Her lips thinned, inwardly agreeing with him but was not about to backtrack. So she rebutted, "I'll use it however I want."

"Then I've definitely underestimated your intelligence," he spat, clearly furious now. "You desecrate the jewel, tainting it by using it this way. Can you not feel the darkness mounting each time you use it?"

Sakura clamped her jaw tight, disturbed by the accuracy of his words. She could not help but ask, "What do you know about this?"

His jaw ticked. "Cooperate with me and I will tell you everything you want to know about the Shinjutama and our clan."

For a brief moment, she hesitated, wondering if she should accept his offer. But despite her urge to find the answers, she could not trust him. All this could be a trick, something to disarm her. If she let her guard down, she would be handing herself over to him completely, and who knew what he intended to do to her? He had gone so far as to kidnap a small child to get her here after all.

No, she could not risk it.

000

* * *

000

Itachi blinked, disengaging his Sharingan as the shinobi in his grip took on the blank expression of one who had lost his ability to control his mind. Around them, other Yugakure nins laid unconscious on the ground, all trapped in a genjutsu of his making. This dark-haired Yugakure nin would be his way in, Itachi thought as he shifted his eyes in the direction of the invisible barrier blocking him from entering the administrative center of Yugakure.

Where Sakura was being held.

Even through the barrier, he was able to sense her unique signature, even though it seemed muted and was constantly fluctuating. It was enough to tell him that she was fighting, and that little knowledge concerned him to no end. She was trapped inside with an opponent without backup, which meant that the situation had the potential to end very badly for her.

With that thought, Itachi refocused his attention on the mindless shinobi next to him. "Invite me inside," he instructed mildly, deducing that this barrier functioned similarly to the ones surrounding the village he had lived in all those years ago.

The shinobi obeyed.

And to Itachi's satisfaction, when he stepped forward, the invisible barrier did not block him from entering the administrative center of Yugakure. As with the barrier around the village, this one allowed entry upon invitation. It was a security flaw, one which could be fatal to the safety of the supposedly protected area.

But for now, he was thankful for this flaw.

His tracking senses were fully engaged as he stepped into the village. Without the barrier to disrupt his abilities, he was able to utilize his senses fully. In moments, he pinpointed the general location of where Sakura was.

In the same area further down, he recognized three other chakra signatures. Shino, Neji and Aoba, he surmised. Unlike Sakura, their chakra signatures were static, suggesting that they were at rest. In which case, they could wait while he retrieved Sakura.

Mind made up, he immediately moved in that direction.

Only to be intersected by more Yugakure nins.

Even knowing that repeated use of his Sharingan would only cause his eyesight to gradually deteriorate once more, he decided that he would utilize his bloodline limit this time, for he simply did not have the time to individually remove these shinobi.

With that thought, he engaged the Amaterasu. The black flames materialized with a single command, stopping his pursuers in their tracks and trapping them within a ring of fire, allowing him to speed unhindered towards his goal.

He eventually reached a large stone building shaped like a dome. Sakura's presence emanated from within like a beacon, her chakra levels fluctuating up and down, telling him that she was still fighting.

Without delay, he blew open the door with a water jutsu and sped indoors, making a beeline for Sakura. The handful of shinobi guards was speedily dealt with as he passed from one chamber to another until he burst into a large hall.

There, he was greeted with the sight of a scowling Shiraishi at the far end of the hall and a panting Sakura at the end closer to him, eyes closed with her expression strained in concentration. A sudden sense of _wrongness_ came upon him then. What was Sakura doing?

"I see your protector is here," Shiraishi gritted out tersely.

Sakura's eyes shot open, immediately landing on him and that sense of _wrongness_ disappeared. "Itachi!" she cried out.

Shifting his eyes to Shiraishi, Itachi queried, "What were you doing, Sakura?"

He received silence to his question, even though he had his suspicions. Sakura clearly did not wish to answer him. However, Shiraishi did not have the same reservation. His expression grim, the pale-haired shinobi ground out, "She intends to abuse the power of the Shinjutama."

Itachi flicked a quick glance towards Sakura to find her glaring mutinously at the other shinobi. Her voice was cold when she retorted, "So what if I was?"

Shiraishi's jaw clenched. "Then I'll be forced to stop you."

Itachi tensed. Something was not quite as it seemed here, Itachi thought as he watched the exchange between the two cousins. The hostility was there, but it seemed to be originating more from Sakura than Shiraishi. Still, it could be simply because she resented being forcibly taken, and that their son had been used as a lure.

"Such abuse will cost you," Shiraishi ground out. "But worse is that it will taint the gemstones."

Itachi felt his blood run cold as his suspicions were confirmed. He, better than most, understood that power did not come free. Such was true for the Sharingan as well. So, if Sakura had been carelessly using the Shinjutama, just what damage had she done to herself? Was it something that could be reversed, or would it be something that would progressively worsen?

There was time later to extract answers from Sakura. It was good enough thus far that she had abandoned whatever she was attempting with the Shinjutama. Right now, he had to focus his attention on Shiraishi. But by the cautious light in those purple eyes, Itachi knew that the other shinobi was aware that the odds were against him. Perhaps they could still resolve the situation without unnecessary violence.

Planting an uncompromising look on the other male, Itachi intoned, "There is no need to fight. I suggest you surrender."

Shiraishi raised a mocking brow. "Ah, I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"Why not?" Itachi asked. "Surely you can tell that you're outnumbered."

"Perhaps. But that doesn't mean I will surrender."

"You're being foolish," Itachi pointed out mildly, his annoyance at the other nin hidden by his usual stoic expression.

Shiraishi's eyes narrowed in anger. "I will not dignify that with a response."

At least, not a verbal one, Itachi thought. From the far end of the room, Shiraishi performed an unfamiliar series of seals and then slammed his right palm to the stone floor.

Itachi braced himself, flicking a glance at Sakura to ensure that she was doing the same, and then watched intently as bullets of water shot up from the cracks between the individual stones forming the floor, speedily making a beeline towards him and Sakura. A trail of steam followed in the wake of Shiraishi's water bullets, telling Itachi that the nin's technique was not like the common ninjutsu which utilizes cold water. Instead, it was hot, something that was highly unusual, perhaps some sort of kekkei genkai or a specialist unique to this part of the world.

Just before the bullets of water reached him, Itachi darted to the side, neatly avoiding contact.

The water bullets which had been travelling in a straight line towards them so far changed directions as he did. Blinking once in surprise, Itachi somersaulted in the air to avoid it, landing some distance away, his eyes never leaving the bullets.

The water bullets persisted in following his movements, similar to his own water dragon technique, forcing him to keep changing directions to avoid being impaled by the technique.

Interesting, Itachi thought as Sakura stepped forward. "Doton: Doryuu Jouheki!" she called out.

A wall of earth erupted from the ground, fracturing the stone floor, effectively blocking the water bullets from hitting both of them. As the mix of water and earth wall fell to the floor in a sludgy mess, Sakura leapt across it, clearly intending to close the distance between her and her opponent. It made sense, for Sakura's chakra-enhanced strength made her formidable in hand-to-hand combat.

Shiraishi, however, had no intention of allowing her close enough to do so. Numerous kunai flew from him towards Sakura, forcing her to backtrack.

"I need to get closer," Sakura hissed as she landed beside him.

"He knows that," Itachi returned, suspecting that the other male was also not as proficient at close-quarter combat as Sakura. Very few were.

Across the room, Shiraishi smirked, and then brought his hands together. Although the seals were unfamiliar, it was clear enough that the technique was another specialist hot water attack.

Itachi tensed in preparation when a jet of water burst from the ground, and then in a blink of an eye, he executed his own attack. Forming the seals for a water jutsu, he called out, "Suiton: Suishouha."

As his own spiraling vortex of water appeared, a glance at his opponent's approaching hot water jet told Itachi that his counterattack would not suffice. Sakura clearly noticed the same thing, for in one great exhale, she reinforced his water technique by a wind natured one.

Boosted by the strength of the wind jutsu, Itachi's water jutsu sped forward, colliding with Shiraishi's steaming jet of water with a loud cracking sound. The very air shook with the force of it, causing Itachi to flatten himself to the stone floor to avoid being hit by the backlash of the explosion.

"Itachi, watch out!" Sakura called out.

But he already noted the oncoming barrage of shuriken, and quickly avoided Shiraishi's attack by launching himself upwards, using chakra to hold himself to the domed ceiling as Sakura had done.

"Stay there," he instructed to her once the numerous shuriken passed them.

Without waiting for her response, he flipped back down to the ground and streaked directly towards the waiting Shiraishi. Their exchange so far had told Itachi enough about the other shinobi's skills; enough to convince Itachi that this battle was one that he could win. All he had to do was exploit what seemed to be Shiraishi's weakness.

Close quarter battle.

As with Sakura, Shiraishi attempted to halt his approach by employing a variety of projectiles, but Itachi managed to sidestep all of them. Shiraishi grew increasingly grim as Itachi drew closer with every step, and finally, just before Itachi reached the end of the room, Shiraishi stretched behind him and took hold of a spear with a long, metal blade at both ends which was hanging on the wall.

They met with a clash of blades.

The exchange of blows was rapid. His shorter ANBU katana meant that Itachi had to choose his moves wisely to counter Shiraishi's spear's longer reach. But this was not an issue, for at this distance from his opponent, Itachi soon realized that Shiraishi's movements were a fraction slower than his own.

Then, with a final twist of his blade, Itachi wrenched the spear out of his opponent's grip, rendering the other nin weaponless before he slammed into Shiraishi's chest with his shoulder.

Unbalanced, Shiraishi fell.

In a blink of an eye, Itachi had a foot on Shiraishi's chest. Standing over the other nin, he pressed his katana to Shiraishi's neck, drawing a thin line of blood upon his skin. The other nin simply glared at him from his prone position on the floor.

It was time to obtain some answers from him, Itachi decided. This foolish battle had gone on long enough.

"You did not intend to harm her at all, did you?" Itachi asked mildly.

"What?" Sakura exclaimed.

Ignoring her, Itachi asked, "What are your intentions in regards to Konoha and Sakura?"

Shiraishi's jaw tensed as his purple eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. It merely strengthened Itachi's suspicions that there was something else at play here.

"Why are you remaining silent?" he pressed.

He heard a soft thud as Sakura dropped down from the ceiling. She came up behind him, clearly waiting to hear Shiraishi's explanation as well. A quick glance backwards at her expression told him that she was still wary, but curious as well. He understood how she felt, for he was just as bewildered by Shiraishi's intentions. Something simply did not fit.

When Shiraishi finally responded to his question, his tone was icy. "It has nothing to do with you."

Itachi pressed his blade harder against the other man's neck, drawing more blood. The viscous red liquid trickled down to the cold stone floor, forming a small puddle. "You are not in the position to be uncooperative."

Something, defiance perhaps, flashed in those purple eyes. Right at this moment, Itachi could see the family resemblance between Shiraishi and Sakura. In those days when she had yet to accept him, he had often been subjected to the same look.

"Just answer him! What have you got to lose?" Sakura asked impatiently. "What have you got against Konoha in the first place? And why did you bring me here?"

Shiraishi glared up at both of them, his jaws ticking with anger. For a long while, no one said anything, the tension in the air growing more oppressive by the moment. The situation seemed to be at a deadlock, Itachi thought with no small amount of irritation, and he did not like it. There were too many unanswered questions so far, and he had a feeling that Shiraishi had the answers to many of them.

Finally, when Itachi was at the point of considering forcing the issue with a more drastic measure, a long exhale escaped the other man.

"Fine," Shiraishi acceded grudgingly. "Let me up first, then ask what you want to know."

Hiding his surprise at the pale-haired nin's capitulation, Itachi withdrew his blade from the other nin's neck, while still keeping his katana poised in readiness. His eyes never left Shiraishi as he sat up. Itachi then questioned, "What are your intentions towards Konoha?"

"Towards Konoha?" Shiraishi reached up to press a hand against the bleeding wound on his neck and then raised a brow. "None."

Itachi frowned, while Sakura burst out, "What do you mean, none? Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying," Shiraishi responded calmly. "If anyone is doing anything suspicious, it is Konoha. After all, I found three of your spies inside Yugakure just recently."

Sakura tensed as she demanded, "Where are they?"

"In the underground holding cell." His lips twisted humorlessly. "They are quite safe, I assure you."

"You will release them," Itachi told him.

Shiraishi raised a brow at him. "I don't have much of a choice, the way I see it. As I said, I have nothing against Konoha, despite what your village did to ours in the old war."

Inclining his head, Itachi asked, "What about the Leaf ANBU assassinated in Konoha lately? Are you denying involvement in that as well?"

"I'm not involved in any assassination of Konoha's shinobi." Shiraishi's lips twisted. "But as to what happened to them, I can hazard a guess."

Sakura eyed him consideringly. "Tell us."

"Danzou did something to the Shinjutama fragments you handed over years ago. Some of his most fervent supporters have access to those fragments. I'm assuming that Danzou has given them the fragments in the belief that the fragments would strengthen them."

Sakura frowned. "But…"

Shiraishi cut in dryly, "I doubt any of them knew what would happen eventually, that the fragments would simply eat them inside out. The gemstones were not meant for such a purpose. It is to be used to offer protection. To use it for power and greed would only corrupt it, and as a result, it will take instead of give." At this point, he gave Sakura a meaningful look. "As you would find out if you continue to abuse those in your body."

She looked away silently.

Deciding to confront Sakura about this later, Itachi redirected the topic back on track. "So, those ANBU members were not assassinated in the first place?" he queried.

"Possibly not."

Itachi thought of the findings before he had been called back to investigate the mysterious deaths, or presumed assassination, of the ANBU operatives. Bleeding, burst eyes, possibly affected by genjutsu, no signs of close-quarter contact, such as bruises. It was recorded that the victims were most likely immobilized prior to being subjected to genjutsu, hence the lack of physical evidences. Also, the chakra pathway to mind is damaged, leading to suspicion of mind tampering.

"Are you certain of what you're saying?" Itachi asked, even though the pieces were beginning to slot into place in his mind.

Shiraishi shrugged. "I don't know for sure. I remember Danzou tended to place a certain jutsu on all the fragments before they were used. I can only assume that it has something to do with keeping the users loyal to him." He smirked then. "But what Danzou did not realize was that I had a similar thing to all the fragments I had access to, in order to ensure none of them would act against me. After all, I was in a precarious position since Danzou suspected that I'm not fully loyal to him."

"Why would he suspect something like that?" Sakura asked. "You went willingly when the Kazekage gave you in exchange, right?"

Shiraishi smirked, dropping his bloodstained hand to his side. "Yes, but only because I needed a good reason to be in Spring Country to carry out my plan. And Danzou had found once he realized that the Shinjutama I gave him didn't work."

"What was your plan?"

"I needed to be back in Yugakure." Shiraishi waved a hand around him. "To reclaim this. To ensure that the Shinju clan heads Yugakure again."

Itachi nodded in acknowledgement. "So once your deception was revealed, Danzou suspected that you have your own agenda."

Nodding, Shiraishi explained, "He tried to keep me under control, but he couldn't. By then, I was back in Spring Country, where my strength is at its greatest. Not that it stopped him. But since some of those shinobi he sent after me were using the Shinjutama I gave him, they were not able to go against me. Those who insisted in doing so simply end up dead."

"That was why Shinozuka died when he mentioned your name," Itachi murmured as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. "Shinjutama was found on him."

"Danzou left me no choice." Shiraishi frowned. "In the end, I did not wish to be anyone's target. I only wish to regain what my clan had lost."

Sakura stepped forward. "Look, this is all very interesting, but I still don't get it. What has this got to do with me?"

Shiraishi's head tilted back as an incredulous bark of laughter left him, making Itachi wonder what exactly was so amusing. Then the purple-eyed shinobi straightened, staring Sakura intensely, a move which caused Itachi to shift protectively forward of the pink-haired kunoichi.

Shiraishi's tone was weary when he finally spoke. "You have no idea, have you?"

"About what?" Sakura asked in a cautious tone.

"I told you. That all I wanted was for you to return to Yugakure."

Itachi tensed immediately. "Why?" he asked icily, disliking the covetous expression the other male was wearing while regarding Sakura. Surely it could not be what he was thinking, and yet, why else would the other man look at Sakura in such a way?

Shiraishi flicked a knowing look at him. "It's not what you think, Uchiha."

It took Itachi some effort to keep his voice even. "Then perhaps you wish to clarify your statement."

Shiraishi returned his attention to Sakura then. "My position as a leader in Yugakure is temporary. The new nins have no idea of the old ways, and at the rate they were going, all would be lost in time."

"The new nins?" Sakura muttered. "I see. Almost everyone is a new shinobi since Yugakure stopped being a shinobi village. I remember how clueless all the medic nins were when I was here all those years ago."

And so did Itachi. The Yugakure nins had not impressed him from what he could recall of them. "So you've taken over to improve matters?"

Shiraishi nodded. "I'm only here to set things back to what it should be, after all these decades." He turned to Sakura before adding, "To return the Shinju clan to its glory."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the other male as another possibility surfaced. Could Shiraishi possibly mean an intimate bonding between him and his cousin? The notion of Sakura and the other shinobi together was altogether too distasteful to contemplate. Slanting a quick look at the kunoichi, he could tell from Sakura's expression that she had arrived at the same conclusion as well, and was clearly less than pleased as a result.

Her voice was shrill when she snapped, "I'm not going to agree to be your broodmare just because you want to revive the Shinju clan."

Shiraishi looked surprised, and then a wryly amused smile graced his lips. "You're mistaken. That is not what I meant."

Impatiently, Sakura demanded, "Then what is it? Just spit it out, will you?"

Shiraishi regarded her steadily as he announced, "It's very simple. You need to return because you're the rightful heir to Yugakure."

000

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000

A/N: That's it. We have one more to go. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Well, the final chapter is finally here! You can't believe how happy I am that this story is finished. Now I can start the process of writing another story and agonizing over the plots and updates. Many thanks to littleredcoat for her hard work fixing my mistakes in this chapter. Without her, you will be reading lots of bad grammar and sentences with misplaced commas!

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**The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 16– betaed by littleredcoat**

"You're the rightful heir to Yugakure."

Filled with a sense of utter disbelief, Sakura stared at Shiraishi. The words rang in her head, but it was hard to take in. What the hell did Shiraishi mean? She was no way the heir to Yugakure. She did not even know about the entire Shinju thing until seven years ago, when Danzou discovered it.

Disconcerted, but striving not to let her voice betray it, she asked, "You want to explain things a bit better? I can't possibly be the heir to the clan. I'm only a half-blood, remember? My mother married outside the Shinju clan."

Shiraishi nodded. "I know. I'm the last pure-blooded Shinju left. My parents are distant cousins. As far as I know, there was a tendency to marry within the clan to keep the bloodline pure." He flicked a glance at Itachi as he added, "Not unlike the Uchiha and the Hyuuga clan, I believe." Turning back to Sakura, he continued, "Naturally, inbreeding gradually lessened our number. My father told me that when the war with Konoha broke out several decades ago there were less than twenty of us left. Too few to stand against the large-scale attack."

"Okay. I'm afraid I still don't get it," she said agitatedly. "_How_ am I the heir?"

"I'm getting there." Taking on a thoughtful expression, Shiraishi continued, "The Shinju clan operates as a matriarchal society, simply because the ability to manipulate the Shinjutama runs more strongly in the female line. It is understood that women can wield the Shinjutama better. I was told that as children, my father, your mother's elder brother, did not even possess half the strength your mother was able to demonstrate. You're the heir because you're the sole surviving female."

Sakura dropped to her knees beside the Yugakure nin, the shock making her feel as if she ought to sit down. "I find that hard to believe," she protested, recalling the effort it had taken her in the past to extract the Shinjutama fragments from the main Shinjutama in the cave. The ones Shiraishi had used earlier to hold Ryo captive had been fist-sized, much larger than what she had extracted. "Surely you have more control over the gemstone than I do, judging by the size of the ones you used earlier."

Still seated on the floor, Shiraishi shrugged. "Perhaps you're using the wrong technique. You weren't trained for it, I assume? Anyway, it doesn't really matter at this point. It was widely accepted within the clan that women held the power to the Shinjutama. So your mother was the heir, after our grandmother. She was the only female offspring from our grandparents, after all, and she would have risen to power if Yugakure had not been taken down in the war decades ago. My father told me that both he and your mother were very young when their minders escaped with them and a handful of other children. My father and my mother were injured, so they had to stop in Suna, while your mother's minder took the rest of the children and went further. That was the last he saw of her."

"She came to Konoha when she was sixteen," Sakura murmured quietly. "Her file said that she was a civilian."

"It was probably wise of her to assume the role of a civilian, otherwise she could've been targeted. My father was seven when they left, and I understood that she was a few years younger, but she should have been aware of her powers. She and her minder must have stayed elsewhere in Fire Country for a while before moving to Konoha." Shiraishi's brows furrowed as he continued, "There were others, I know. I tried, but I couldn't locate them. I don't know if any of them survived. So, as far as I can tell, you're the last one left."

Sakura remained unconvinced. Or perhaps she simply did not want to believe it. Because if it was true, then what did this mean for her? "If that is the case, then seven years ago when I first came to live in Yugakure, surely someone would have mentioned something about this whole thing, right?"

Shiraishi shook his head, propping an arm on a bent knee. "The Shinju clan traditions disappeared at the end of that old war, together with the members. Seven years ago, those you met knew nothing about it because Yugakure had been a civilian village for decades after the war."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to digest all this information. So where did this leave her? She glanced at Itachi, wondering what he made of all this, but his expression gave nothing away. Cautiously, she turned back to Shiraishi and ventured, "You can't be sure that we are the only two left of the clan. The others could be out there, for all we know."

"Possibly. But I cannot locate a single one of them." He shook his head. "You're the only one I can find."

She exhaled loudly. And then, thinking of why she was there in the first place, she asked, "Why couldn't you have told me all this without kidnapping us? Was all that violence necessary?"

"I did cordially invite you to visit once, if you recall," Shiraishi pointed out dryly, raising a challenging brow. "Surely you remember? It was not so long ago, after all."

She blinked as she thought back to their previous meetings. He must mean the time when she and her ANBU team came to deliver the scroll. She vaguely remembered how unnerved she had felt at that time when Shiraishi kept staring at her intently. And now that she thought about it, he could have mentioned something along those lines.

"That was it?" she muttered.

His lips curled bitterly. "You were rather dismissive at that time. It wasn't encouraging."

And when she recalled what had happened after that, she straightened in affront. "And when I declined, you sent your shinobi to attack us!" she accused heatedly.

"They were under instructions not to kill, and only retrieve you alive. I simply wanted to speak to you in private." He frowned then. "However, it was clear from their failure that they were still insufficiently trained."

"Yugakure's reinstatement as a shinobi village is recent, and such things take time," Itachi remarked mildly, breaking his silence.

Shiraishi's lips quirked. "Perhaps."

Sakura rubbed her forehead with her palm. So they had not really been aiming to kill her? She felt guilty now that she had killed all those Yugakure nins. But how was she supposed to know that they had not intended to kill her?

"So I suppose now that the truth is out, you have a decision to make," Shiraishi told her.

Her nerves stretched taut. "What decision?" she asked warily, even though she could guess what was coming.

Shiraishi gave her a knowing look. "I want you to stay and rule Yugakure with me."

She could feel Itachi tense beside her. But before she could say anything, Shiraishi told him, "In the past, it was known that male and female siblings or cousins rule together." His lips quirked in amusement. "I assure you that it's all quite platonic so you have no cause for concern, Uchiha."

"Hm."

Sakura stifled a grin at the barely-veiled irritation on Itachi's face, enjoying his rare display of what was obviously jealousy. Knowing that this was not the time to tease him, however, she turned her attention back to Shiraishi. What he was asking meant she would have to leave Konoha, but was that something she was willing to do? It was such a huge change, simply for the sake of some long-forgotten tradition. Her home was Konoha, not Yugakure. Her friends were in Konoha, not in Yugakure. To do what Shiraishi suggested meant that she would have to completely uproot herself and also her son. And what about Itachi? She could not think of a future without him.

She sighed inwardly. Perhaps there was another way to resolve this without her participation. "You mentioned earlier that the new generation of shinobi is not aware of this Shinju tradition."

Shiraishi nodded.

Feeling a little bit more optimistic now, she suggested, "Then can't you just rule Yugakure alone? No one would know any better, right? It is not as if I will challenge you for the position."

Shiraishi shot to his feet. The look he gave her was nothing short of offended. "I don't wish to do so."

Bewildered, she glared at him as she straightened as well. "Why not?" she shot back, planting her hands on her hips.

This time, Itachi interjected, "Perhaps he doesn't wish to simply dismiss generations of tradition."

She darted Itachi a disbelieving look. Why was he taking Shiraishi's side? And he was not just saying it, either. She could tell from the intensity of his expression that Itachi felt strongly about what he had said. That he understood where Shiraishi was coming from.

She bit her lip as a thought occurred to her. Perhaps Itachi _could_ relate somewhat to Shiraishi in terms of losing his clan. As usual, her heart twisted at the thought of what he had been made to do. He was probably the only person around who knew the old traditions of the Uchiha clan. And she was sure that a clan so old and established would have had many traditions that outsiders like her knew nothing about. Could it be that he missed it? Maybe one day she should broach the topic to see what Itachi felt about sharing a little bit of his clan with their son. After all, Ryo was an Uchiha.

Now, turning to the irate Shiraishi, she asked curiously, "Is that true? Is it because you don't want to throw away tradition?"

He waved around them, gesturing at the domed stone structure over their head. "This was built in the image of the old building, based on the plans in the historical archive. And it is not the only one. Everything was destroyed in the old war." The muscle in Shiraishi's jaw ticked as he glance away, his face taking on a strained expression. "There's almost nothing left of the Shinju clan, not to mention its beliefs and customs. But now that there's the opportunity, I cannot let what little bit is left die just like that," he stressed.

She exhaled loudly, feeling the weight of what he had just said pressing upon her. Now that he had explained things, it was not as if she deliberately did not want to help him. But how could he expect her to do what he had asked? Despite their shared bloodline, she did not have that sort of bond with the Shinju clan. Her bonds were back in Konoha, with Ryo, Itachi, and her friends.

"You're asking me to leave Konoha, my _home_. My friends are all there. Everything I know is there," she said in an attempt to get him to understand.

"You have lived away from Konoha for years," Shiraishi pointed out insistently. "You lived in Suna, and then here."

"Not voluntarily. I was _ordered_ to remain outside of Konoha." Then, turning to a contemplative Itachi, she asked, "What do you think?"

The look he gave her betrayed nothing. "It is your choice, Sakura."

It was a big decision, one that she could not make just on a whim. She closed her eyes slowly. When she opened them, she exhaled loudly and said the only thing that she could say at that point.

"Give me some time. I have to think about it."

000

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000

A couple of hours later, Itachi found himself standing just inside the gates of Yugakure. In the periphery of his vision, he could see that the sun was beginning its descent from the sky, and was casting long shadows on the ground.

He felt somewhat discomfited by the attention from the Yugakure nins watching him reverse Amaterasu to release their bewildered comrades. Shiraishi gave them no explanation as to what had happened, only that for now, there was a truce between Konoha and Yugakure.

Itachi could tell that the Yugakure nins were still wary, and he did not blame them. One usually did not embrace one's opponents mere hours after battles. And one did not usually promise to release spies, either. Speaking of spies, where were those captured Leaf-nins? He would have to debrief them thoroughly to discover how three of the most skilled Leaf ANBU had been captured, and address the weakness accordingly.

A flash of yellow caught Itachi's eyes, drawing his attention to Naruto. Despite everything that had happened just hours ago, Naruto had clearly forgiven all, as he was chattering away at some bewildered-looking Yugakure nins. Itachi mused that he would make a good leader one day.

Further away, Sakura was healing a number of Yugakure nins under the watchful guard of Idate and Kouga. The latter two clearly did not quite trust the about-turn of the other nins, even though they had been very briefly apprised of the reasons behind Shiraishi's moves. The tension in their postures clearly displayed their wariness.

"Taichou, there are three more over there," Yuugao informed him, gesturing to the shinobi trapped in a small circle of dark fire with Raido standing nearby. "I think that's the last."

Itachi nodded, and proceeded to release the technique.

As the last of the Amaterasu technique dissipated, Sai appeared, a mild smile on his face as he made his way towards them. Beside him, Ryo was riding on an ink tiger, looking around him cautiously.

Itachi's shoulders sagged slightly in relief at the sight of his son.

"Ryo!" Sakura cried out joyfully, her patients forgotten.

Heart contracting with emotion, Itachi watched as Ryo's eyes shot towards them.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san!" the boy yelled excitedly as he launched off the tiger with an agility that betrayed his shinobi training.

Rushing forward, Sakura met him halfway, swinging him into her arms for a tight hug while Itachi made his way towards them at a more moderate pace. He scanned his son's slight figure thoroughly, needing to assure himself that Ryo was indeed unharmed. Much to his satisfaction, the boy seemed whole.

Peeling away from Sakura, Ryo turned to face him. Itachi sank into a crouch. Without hesitation, the boy flung a pair of thin arms around him. As Itachi hugged him back, there was a tight feeling in his throat, making it hard for him to swallow. The strength of his emotion was so sharp that he could hardly believe he could actually feel this way.

He met Sakura's damp eyes over their son's shoulder. At this very moment, it occurred to him that he would never let either of them go. This was the only family he had left, and he would treasure them. He would give his life for them, and as far as he was concerned, could think of no price too high to keep them safe and happy.

"Can we go now?" Ryo murmured into his shoulder. "I want to go home."

Home.

Itachi closed his eyes briefly. Where was home for Ryo? Suna or Konoha? Or even Yugakure? It was something that Sakura would have to decide on soon. But to Itachi, where they would reside did not really matter that much. After years of traipsing the world, he could adapt to any kind of environment. He only needed Sakura and Ryo with him. His home was where she and their son were.

"Otou-san?"

Realizing that he had not answered his son's question, Itachi pulled back to look at the pair of green eyes staring at him quizzically. "I believe your mother has to finish healing her patients before we will be able to leave."

Ryo stared the Yugakure nins, his expression filled with misgiving. "But…"

Sakura knelt down beside him. "We'll explain everything on our way back home, okay?"

Ryo nodded, and then his brows furrowed in thought. "We're going back to Konoha, right?"

"Yes, Ryo-chan."

"So, Suna is on the way back, right?" the boy asked.

Ah, Ryo appeared to miss Suna. And perhaps Gaara? It occurred to Itachi then that in his absence, the boy might have viewed the Kazekage as a surrogate father. The notion stung, but he could do nothing about it. To keep Ryo from Suna would achieve nothing except resentment from his son.

"You may visit Suna if you wish," Itachi told him before Sakura could. Turning to her, he added, "You will remain with him while I return to Konoha with the rest."

Judging by her expression, she did not seem pleased with his announcement.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Why don't you stay with us in Suna for a while? I'm sure Ryo has many things to show you," she told him. "You didn't stay long the last time."

"Yes, Otou-san."

Two pairs of green eyes stared at him beseechingly, and Itachi felt himself weaken. It looked like his willpower was non-existent under the dual assault.

"Hey, I think I should come along as well," Naruto piped up enthusiastically. "Haven't seen Gaara for a while. You don't mind, do you, Taichou?"

"I have read about things like this. It's called a family vacation. You will only be in the way, Dickless," Sai pointed out.

"I'm NOT Dickless!"

Itachi sighed inwardly at the now-familiar exchange.

"Taichou, we can make it back to Konoha on our own and report to the Hokage," Sai interjected then. "And Naruto will come with us."

The blond protested, "But-"

Yuugao elbowed Naruto into silence. "We can manage, I'm sure," she insisted.

Itachi sighed inwardly. "Very well then," he relented.

Both mother and son beamed at him, much to his amusement.

A moment later, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji and Yamashiro Aoba appeared from the domed building. They were dirt-streaked and weary, but otherwise unharmed, from what he could tell. It would certainly strain relations if Shiraishi had injured the Konoha spies. Fortunately, it appeared that Shiraishi truly had not intended them any harm.

"Taichou," they greeted him in unison, their voices subdued, tinged with wariness.

Itachi inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"We received your message, but we were imprisoned before we could act," Shino explained.

The Hyuuga glanced around briefly. "We are no longer at odds with Yugakure?" he queried mildly.

"Aa," Itachi replied. "We have arrived at an understanding."

"So, what is the plan now?" Aoba asked.

Before he could answer, the Leaf spies tensed collectively at the approach of their captor. Shiraishi, appearing none worse for wear after their confrontation earlier, stepped up to them calmly.

"We will be leaving soon," Itachi announced.

"There's no need to leave so soon." Shiraishi glanced at the darkening sky. "You could stay for the night and leave next morning."

Itachi slanted a quick glance at Sakura, immediately understanding her unspoken wish. The rest of the Leaf nins' clear reluctance was just as obvious. In a polite tone, he told Shiraishi, "It is best that we leave now."

There was a flash of something akin to disappointment in those pale eyes, but the other nin masked it before it could take hold. Despite everything that had happened, Itachi felt a flash of compassion for him. Shiraishi obviously wished to deepen the relationship between him and Sakura, only to have this entire debacle affect it adversely. Itachi could tell him that Sakura has a tender heart, and would not reject what could be her only family relation outright. But Shiraishi would probably need to learn this on his own.

"Very well then." Turning to Sakura, the leader of Yugakure added quietly, "I wish you a good journey home."

Sakura's voice was a little stilted when she replied, "Thanks."

"You will make contact when you reach a decision."

It was not a question, but Sakura answered, "I told you I'll have to think about it." She sighed. "But yes, I'll let you know."

Shiraishi inclined his head once in acknowledgement, and then left them.

Only then did Sakura's shoulders slump wearily.

Itachi reached out to give her arms a reassuring squeeze. "Come. We should leave now if we wish to arrive at Suna around midnight."

Her lips quirked, and then she grinned. "Gaara will be so pleased to see us at that time in the night."

Ryo grinned. "Of course. Now, let's go!"

000

* * *

000

Two weeks later, Sakura sat crosslegged on a wooden bench, staring thoughtfully at the little fountain set in a cluster of natural rock forming small decorative pools in Itachi's backyard. Further at the back of the fenced area was a practice ground, large enough for most shinobi to do a bit of light training.

She and Ryo had been here with Itachi since yesterday, spending the night for the first time in his house. It was much bigger than her modest apartment, boasting two levels of modern brick and concrete construction, something which struck her as odd considering what she remembered of the Uchiha compound, which could only be described as traditional. The tour they had been given yesterday told her that there were many rooms, many more than Itachi could possibly utilize on his own, but she had not wanted to ask him about it.

They had not discussed their future at all thus far, even knowing that she had to make the decision that she had promised Shiraishi two weeks ago. Since that day, they had spent some time in Suna. The Sand siblings had welcomed them enthusiastically, touching her with their response. They had spent the week catching up on many things that had happened over the past few months. Although Gaara had not made a big spectacle of it, he had reshuffled his busy schedule to spend time with Ryo, something which told her that he had missed the boy in those months that he had been absent from Suna. Therefore, the opportunity for a lengthy private conversation about the future was simply not there, seeing that they had barely been left alone.

She had delayed long enough, though. Shiraishi would be impatient to know her decision and she really wanted to get this whole thing out of the way. Right now, she felt as if she was in some kind of limbo, not knowing what the future held.

It should be an easy decision, really, seeing that her home was always Konoha, despite what Shiraishi had told her about her responsibility as the sole surviving female of the Shinju clan.

But surely it was not only Shiraishi's opinion that mattered here.

Naruto, when he had heard about the entire episode with Shiraishi on their journey between Yugakure and Suna, had cheerfully announced that Shiraishi must be mad to even suggest it. Her home was Konoha, wasn't it? That was how he had seen it, and had given the issue no further thought. Instead, he had regaled her with the tale of how speedily he had secured the western perimeter of Yugakure by using his Kage Bunshin technique. As if she had not seen such a thing with her own eyes many times before.

And when they had arrived at Konoha a few days ago, her meeting with Kakashi had given her another set of issues to consider. Scratching his head in bemusement, Kakashi had admitted that he was not certain of the laws involving such transfers, and had sent a couple of chuunin to research the information from their external storage vault, the place at the edge of Fire Country where they kept backup copies of information on such things. Until now, she still felt a bit apprehensive by Kakashi's declaration that he suspected Yugakure had the right to demand her return, considering the circumstances. He had also raised the issue of Itachi and his possible preference to leave Konoha in the light of the massacre, something which had only just now occurred to her.

To make things more muddled, there was the issue of Ryo, who was currently a Suna resident. What would Gaara make of this whole mess? They had not spoken of this issue before they left Suna. She knew that he would not hold Ryo in Suna if she wished to settle in Konoha with her son, but what would he think of Yugakure? While Suna was situated between Yugakure and Konoha, Yugakure was actually closer, so Gaara might prefer them to stay in Spring Country. Not that it was his decision ultimately, but she still had to consider him, seeing his importance in Ryo's life.

Speaking of Ryo, would he even want to return to Yugakure considering his less-than-pleasant visit there? For all she knew, Ryo would prefer to return to Suna, instead of remaining in Konoha or moving to Yugakure. What would she do if that was the case?

Sakura almost groaned out loud.

An easy decision? Perhaps not quite that easy.

She darted a look over her shoulder. At the moment, Itachi was playing shogi with Ryo, who was wearing an intensely focused expression just before he moved a piece on the board. Father and son were both seated at the wooden table placed on the shaded patio at the back of the house.

They needed to speak about the future as soon as she could get him alone. This was not a decision that she wanted to make on her own. What else could she do? She could no longer imagine a future without Itachi. As it was, too many years had been wasted when they could have been together.

What would he prefer? To remain in Konoha or to move to Yugakure? It was hard to tell. Kakashi had reminded her that as far as Itachi was concerned, there were many issues in Konoha, and they mainly stemmed from the Uchiha massacre. Although some of the ranks of shinobi respected him, and some were even of the opinion there was more to the massacre than met the eye, many still did not accept him. Itachi did not seem to be affected by the opinion of others, from what she could tell, but still, it must not be too comfortable walking down the street and having people staring at you all the time.

She did not even know how he felt about the whole issue. For all she knew, once Kakashi had pardoned him Itachi had agreed to return because of the bond he had with this village. He must have a very strong bond to the village if he was willing to sacrifice his whole life for it. It was, after all, this very same bond that made her hesitate to agree to what Shiraishi was asking. Even if she somehow came to the conclusion that she would move to Yugakure, it might not mean that Itachi would feel the same way. Where did that leave them then?

One thing she was sure was that she follow Itachi whatever he chose to do.

Before she knew it, the shoji game was over, as announced by Ryo's disgruntled groan which broke into her contemplations. Curious, she turned around and shuffled to the low table, taking in the pieces on the board.

"I can't believe I lost!" Ryo grumbled out loud.

"You rushed your moves," Itachi pointed out mildly. "There are times when patience is necessary."

Ryo sighed resignedly, drawing a fond smile from Sakura. Clearly, Itachi did not believe in coddling Ryo, even when it came to games. It was for the best, she admitted.

"I think I'll go practice some jutsu now. I haven't gotten the hang of the ones you taught me yesterday, Otou-san."

Itachi nodded, and both of them watched as the boy jumped to his feet to speed to the end of the backyard. The protective scrolls Itachi had placed around the training ground would ensure that the attacks would merely bounce off and not destroy the main house should an accident occur.

When Ryo began to run through his seals, Sakura shifted her attention to Itachi.

"We need to talk."

Itachi quirked a questioning brow at her. "According to most men, that phrase is something to be wary of."

Unamused, she blew out an exasperated breath. "About Shiraishi and what he said to us," she clarified. "He's waiting for a decision."

"A decision which is yours to make, I believe," Itachi pointed out mildly.

She frowned. "How can you say that? It involves you as well." A moment of uncertainty struck her then, of the possible reason why they had not discussed the future thus far in their relationship. With a hesitant voice, she asked, "Unless you don't want to be. Involved, that is."

The way he eyed her contemplatively made her nervous. Surely she could not have misjudged his intentions towards her. Surely he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.

When he finally spoke, his words were full of conviction. "Sakura, I will remain by your side, whatever choice you make." The corner of his lips tilting wryly, he added, "After all, you're the sole reason for my return to Konoha."

"I am?" she blurted out, even as relief coursed through her at the knowledge that they were on the same page.

"Yes."

"I thought you came back because you miss Konoha."

"It is the people within, not the place, that are important." His eyes fixed onto hers intently. "And you and Ryo are important to me."

Her heart gave a happy thump. "So, you'll really go where I go?"

"Yes."

His unwavering response made her so happy that she did not know quite how to react. Furthermore, it gave her a certain measure of confidence to press on. Trying to find answers to her earlier mental questions, she asked, "We never really discussed it, so I still don't know how you feel about remaining in Konoha in the long term." She gestured in the general direction of the old Uchiha compound at the opposite end of Konoha. "There's a lot of… history… for you here."

"Yes."

Growing a little exasperated by his monosyllabic answers, she scowled. "I need some input here, Itachi. I can't read your mind."

"And I maintain that this should be your decision," he returned calmly.

She crossed her arms over her chest, irritated. "At least tell me how you feel about the entire Uchiha thing."

He glanced away, taking on a thoughtful expression. A few moments passed before he replied, "The Uchiha clan, as most people know it, is in the past. All its beliefs and customs are now obsolete."

When he said nothing else, she pressed, "And? Do you want to keep it going the way Shiraishi wants to?"

Itachi took a deep breath, and then his eyes shifted to Ryo. She followed his gaze to find their son running towards them.

He skidded to a halt between them. "Okaa-san, Otou-san! Can you help me with this new fire jutsu, please?"

"Perhaps later, Ryo-chan. Your father and I have things to discuss."

"Discuss?" The boy gave them both questioning looks. "Discuss what?"

"We are discussing the past," Itachi supplied. After a brief pause, he added, "And the future."

Curiosity immediately sparked in Ryo's green eyes. "The past? Like what happened to the Uchiha clan?"

"That's right."

Deciding to put a stop to what could potentially be Ryo's tactless questions, Sakura interjected, "Maybe you should continue practicing on your own for a while. We will join you later."

"Or perhaps he could remain, and learn the truth about the Uchiha clan," Itachi murmured.

Sakura darted him a surprised look. "Really?" she blurted out, not expecting Itachi to want to broach such an issue with Ryo.

"Really?" their son repeated, sounding half fascinated and half apprehensive. Eyes not leaving his father, Ryo sat down at the table before adding, "You're going to tell me about the curse on the clan?"

Sakura winced while Itachi blinked slowly. "The curse?" he queried mildly.

Ryo frowned, clearly sensing that something was not right. "You know, the curse?" he reiterated. "The one where the Uchiha clan exchange their lives for the power of the Sharingan?"

A light of understanding flashed across Itachi's features. "Ah, that curse."

Nodding, Ryo remarked, "You must be special, right, since you're not affected."

"Ryo…" Sakura began, only to be interrupted by Itachi.

"Truthfully, there isn't a curse as such," he said carefully, his eyes fixed on Ryo. "But perhaps I should begin at the beginning."

Ryo listened with rapt attention as Itachi began to tell him about the Sharingan, the price of its destructive powers, Madara and the ultimate Sharingan attained at the cost of his own brother's sight. Once he covered that and the founding of Konoha, Itachi went on with the Uchiha clan's plan to overthrow the Konoha administration, and his own role as a double agent spying on his own clan. He went on to say how he had attempted subtly to sway his father's views, to no avail, and had ended up growing more and more disenchanted with the Uchiha clan's narrow-minded outlook. The Sandaime had no choice but to give in to the pressures of the council, had no choice but to protect Konoha instead of allowing one selfish clan to ruin the relative peace, and that the deed had been carried out when he knew that Sasuke would be away.

All the while, Itachi's tone remained unemotional, as if he was simply reciting from a report. And all the while, Sakura felt her heart break for him. Listening like this, as a third party, she could see how hard he was hiding his own pain. He had regretted the necessity of the entire thing, but had gone ahead and killed the only family he had known anyway.

"You…" Ryo sputtered, his eyes rounded with horror. "You killed them all?"

Itachi nodded curtly. "Except Sasuke. My little brother."

It was then that she saw it.

A flash of red in Ryo's eyes.

But it was gone as fast as it had appeared, making her wonder if she was seeing things. A quick glance at Itachi, however, told her that he had seen the same thing, for he had visibly stiffened. Was Ryo actually manifesting the Sharingan so soon? He was barely six years old. But maybe it was just a trick of the light.

"Did you see that?" she whispered a little shakily.

"Aa."

Ryo's brows scrunched. "See what?"

Sakura shook her head, not knowing what to say, while Itachi merely murmured, "Something we have to discuss later."

"Discuss later?" Ryo echoed in confusion.

"Yes," Itachi said firmly.

"Okay," Ryo muttered, and then asked, "So what happened to Sasuke?"

Itachi's expression clouded slightly.

All thoughts of Ryo's possible Sharingan flew out of her mind as she listened to Itachi relate how he had encouraged Sasuke to hate him so that one day, his little brother might exact revenge for the clan. Her eyes stung at the barely hidden sorrow in his increasingly hoarse voice as he spoke of their battle, of how he thought he had succeeded in his aim to protect Sasuke and give him the satisfaction of revenge. Fate, however, had other ideas. Ultimately, despite all of Itachi's good intentions, events had driven Sasuke to hate Konoha instead and had led to his eventual demise.

All the while, Ryo remained silent and Sakura wondered worriedly just how he viewed Itachi now that the truth was out. The boy's hero worship up to this moment had been evident, but how would this revelation change things between them? Sakura only hoped that their son would understand his father's point of view. Itachi would be heartbroken if he lost the respect of his son.

000

* * *

000

It seemed like forever that the three of them just sat there, lost in their own thoughts, even though it could only have been minutes after he had ended the narration of the past. There was unease in the atmosphere, unsurprisingly, Itachi thought with some resignation. He could only hope that Ryo was mature enough to accept that certain things had to be done and certain actions had to be taken, because the consequences of not doing so would exact a much greater price.

Finally, Ryo broke the silence.

"So there was no curse." He frowned as he turned over the information in his mind. "Then why does everyone say there was one?"

Itachi blinked once, a little bewildered by the one mundane issue Ryo managed to pick on first. He had expected worse.

"It is a tale told to children, I suspect," Sakura replied. "Besides, most of Konoha still doesn't know the truth about the massacre. I only found out recently."

Ryo nodded thoughtfully, before shifting his attention away from his mother. "Do you miss them?" he asked. "Your family?"

A lump formed at the base of his throat, making it difficult for him to respond. So much for picking on mundane issues. Of all things for him to ask, Ryo had to ask one of the more difficult ones. Did he miss his family? Had he the right to miss them after ending their lives with his own hands?

Finally, he admitted, "Yes."

Ryo nodded solemnly, as if expecting that answer anyway. "Naruto-Oji-chan always says that family and friends are important."

"He's right."

"But I suppose if they're bad…" Ryo trailed off uncertainly.

"People are not always good or bad," Itachi interjected. "Often, there are areas in between, grey areas where things are neither truly black nor white. And it is at those times that one finds themselves tested."

Ryo blinked at him blankly, making him realize that perhaps this concept required a more detailed explanation. It made him realize just how innocent the boy was in comparison with his own darker childhood. At only four, he had already seen a large-scale war, the Third Shinobi World War, and that was enough to scar him emotionally and mentally. Ryo, in comparison, was still a clean slate.

He vowed to himself that if he could help it, Ryo would never have to experience such darkness.

"Otou-san?"

Ryo's voice broke him out of his contemplations, and Itachi had to take a brief moment to recall what he had been about to say.

"In the case of the Uchiha massacre, the justification was that the death of a clan ensured the safety of most of the village. However, no one could tell the future, or if the Uchiha clan would ultimately execute the planned coup to overthrow the administration. The decision to eliminate was carried out to _prevent_ an event from happening, but who could tell for sure if such an event would actually take place in reality?" Itachi glanced down at his hands, the bloodied hands which had wielded the blade which killed his own relatives. "Does that make it right? Does that justify the action of ending so many lives? To prevent something that _might_ occur? On the other hand, if it had not been done, then more lives would have been at risk. Innocents could have died needlessly."

Silence greeted his words, and then a warm hand enveloped his. When he glanced up, it was to meet Sakura's damp eyes. Reaching out, he rubbed a teardrop away from the corner of her left eye, drawing a wobbling smile from her.

Ryo's voice was small when he asked, "So, what should we do when we're faced with this sort of situation?"

Itachi inhaled deeply. "One could only do what one think is right, and then accept the responsibility for it. Even if the outcome is unpleasant."

After another moment of silence, Sakura squeezed his hand and turned to Ryo. "Well, the reason this whole issue came up is because of the decision I have to make, whether to remain in Konoha or to move to Yugakure." Uncertainty flashed in her green eyes as she asked the boy, "Unless you're thinking of staying in Suna?"

Ryo blinked, and then gave her a slightly offended look, as if he could not believe she was even asking. "I want to stay with you, Okaa-san. Wherever we are, I'm sure we can visit Suna as often as we want." His brows furrowed. "Although I'll miss them very much," he added in a subdued tone.

Rather relieved to have the topic of the massacre behind them, at least for now, Itachi contributed, "Suna is relatively close to both Konoha and Yugakure. I do not foresee a problem with visits." Turning to Sakura, he continued, "As for your earlier question about traditions, I believe that some should be maintained, while others should be discarded. However, this does not require us to remain in Konoha, should you wish to relocate to Yugakure."

Sakura huffed in exasperation. "You're not helping!"

His lips quirked in amusement. "It should be your decision. As I have pointed out many times."

Glowering at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine then."

This time, he gave her a smile. "Choose wisely, Sakura."

"I'll try."

000

* * *

000

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, and the next thing Sakura knew, a little more than seven years had passed since Itachi set foot in Konoha as a free man. And a little less than seven years since she had made the decision that affected the lives of three people, at least.

Oh, well, maybe more, she thought as she slid a sidelong glance at the redheaded man seated in what could only be described as the throne some distance away, his eyes fixed towards the sand-covered battle arena below. They were not the only ones in the shaded raised viewing gallery, though. The leaders of other shinobi nations as well as selected members of the shinobi community were also there. Like her, some were standing at the edge of the platform, while others, like Gaara and Kakashi, were seated. The rest of the spectators were cheering from the stepped viewing galleries around the circular arena. They were all watching the final round of the friendly battle between two jounin finalists. It was a tournament which took place annually, with the aim to strengthen the relationship between Konoha, Suna, Yugakure, Tanigakure and a handful of other small shinobi nations.

She glanced around at the leaders of the different villages which had entered an alliance three years ago in the interest of preserving peace. As the result of this, troublemakers tended to think twice before causing problems lest they attract the wrath of this major alliance. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that the peace which they had fought for so earnestly was finally in hand and many shinobi now felt safer travelling to and fro, especially within these few countries. Compared to the old way of segregation between the different countries, it felt as if the world was positively shrinking.

A sharp crack rang out in the air over the arena, drawing her attention back to the battle. The dry Suna dust had barely settled from the previous technique when a light purple streak shot in an arc around the space, sending another plume of dust trailing behind. Almost as quickly, a shot of hot steam was directed at the other competitor, making Sakura's heart thud faster with anxiety. But she should not have worried, for the lanky redheaded shinobi immediately countered with a blast of fire which swallowed the steam with a loud hiss.

Ryo did not waste any time waiting for his opponent to make the next move. At thirteen-years-old, he had already attained the level of a jounin and possessed the skills to back the title up. Still, his favorite techniques were those he had learnt from her. According to him, it was much more satisfying to use his fists against his opponent than to attack with some element. And it was this technique that he chose to use now, against an opponent that he knew was weaker in close-quarter combat. It reminded her of her battle with Shiraishi, actually.

The bright sunlight made the sharp metal glint blindingly as his opponent flung a storm of shuriken in the attempt to stall his approach. In response, Ryo vaulted back and forth out of danger's way. Avoiding projectiles was something Itachi had drilled into him years ago and the training had been carried out so thoroughly that the moves had become almost instinctive for Ryo. She smiled at the recollection of Ryo's complaints at the need for such basic training, but Itachi had stressed that the basics needed to be flawless to provide a foundation for other things.

Itachi had also always insisted that Ryo trained without his Sharingan, telling their son that the bloodline limit's power did not come without a price. Sakura still remembered how, after their first brief sighting of Ryo's Sharingan, they had both continued to look out for it for months afterwards but without any result. Itachi had then told her that such a thing was quite common, and that it was a sign that Ryo would definitely manifest the Sharingan at some point in the future. True enough, two years later, when Ryo turned eight, his Sharingan had appeared in all its full glory during his chuunin exams. One of his Leaf teammates had been in danger from an opponent and Ryo's Sharingan had appeared when he charged to the rescue.

Now, she watched as Ryo swung a glowing foot upwards in an arc, heading for his opponent's upper arm with the clear intent to disable the limb. However, his opponent was ready for him. With a crack of colliding chakra, Ryo's kick bounced off an invisible barrier. Unlike her own experience with such Shinju barriers, Sakura knew that Akari's would be difficult to breach, if not impossible.

Even from this distance, she could hear his disgruntled yells.

"That's not fair!" he protested, launching a punch this time, only to be met by the same frustrating outcome.

"Not fair? It's my kekkei genkai, idiot!" came the blistering rejoinder from his fourteen-years-old opponent.

An irritated sound exploded from Ryo before he protested, "I'm not an idiot!"

"Then don't say stupid things!" she snapped, tossing a ball of hot water at him.

Ryo backflipped, avoiding the hit, and retaliated with a spear of fire. "I don't say stupid things!"

"Can you just shut up and fight, Ryo? I'm trying to concentrate," Akari ground out as she pulled up a barrier to deflect his attack.

"What? Can't multitask?" Ryo taunted.

An impressively loud, teasing voice broke from the crowd of spectators, "Oi! Are you two fighting or flirting?"

Ryo and Akari paused mid-fight, their glaring eyes zoning in on a particular cheeky-looking Leaf chuunin. Sakura let out a chuckle at the sight, and shared a quick look of amusement with Itachi, who was standing to her left. Glancing over her shoulder, she took note of Shiraishi's exasperated look.

"Shut up, Minato!" Akari shouted at the blond boy, shaking her clenched fist threateningly.

Sakura grinned at the familiar exchange, and then watched as they refocused on the fight. It was not the first time Ryo had gone head to head with the light-purple haired kunoichi of Yugakure. Though usually, it was a more informal occasion during one of their trips to Yugakure to visit Shiraishi. Akari was one of Ryo's distant cousins, one which they had managed to locate. Fortunately.

Shortly after she had told Shiraishi that she would not be relocating to Yugakure, she had sweetened the rejection by helping him to search for the other Shinju clan members, convinced that they must have survived. Kakashi had been persuaded by Itachi to release Naruto and Sai to help with the task. So the search had commenced without delay. Itachi, Ryo and Naruto had gone in one direction, and she had gone with Sai and Idate in another direction, while Shiraishi took his shinobi in another.

She had been the one to find them, or rather, one of Sai's ink mice had found Akari. The girl was one year older than Ryo, living on one of the islands off the Land of Water with her little brother, mother and her aunt. Akari's father had passed away shortly after her birth, but there was another surviving male Shinju cousin there as well. The five of them had been living there, surviving on the island's natural resources all this time.

According to them, when their minders had escaped from Yugakure with them, leaving the adults to battle the invasion, their destination had always been this island. It was the Shinju clan's secret sanctuary. Shiraishi's father and mother had been unable to make it that far because they had been injured in the escape, and therefore had to stop in Suna. After that Sakura's mother, being only four at that time, had fallen ill just as they were crossing Fire Country, and so had to remain there. The intention had been for them to make their way to the island to join the rest, but somehow it had never happened.

When Sakura had explained to them what had occurred in Yugakure, Akari, her brother, her mother, her aunt and their elderly male cousin were happy enough to leave the secluded island to return to their proper home.

And since then, Shiraishi had happily shared the leadership of Yugakure with Akari's mother, Hanako, who turned out to be an exceptionally talented shinobi. Sakura smiled as she glanced at the pale-haired kunoichi in her early thirties seated not far from them. Shiraishi was standing beside her chair, both of them sharing enough of the same Shinju genes to look similar, but according to the gossips of Yugakure medics, distantly related enough that they could safely have children if they wished to. Neither of them had vocalized such an intention, but Sakura had seen enough of their interaction to know that it was only a matter of time before they got together.

The air crackled with a sudden increase of chakra levels, and she jerked her eyes back to the battle arena. Techniques were flying with furious intensity back and forth between the two competitors, drawing cheers and gasps from the spectators. Ryo and Akari drew together, and then flung apart, and the process repeated itself.

Then, with a final explosion of chakra, it was over in an instant.

Akari was lying on her back, pale pink hair fanned out as her chest heaved up and down with each desperate gulp of air, while a panting Ryo stood over her with the tip of his katana pressed to her neck. A deafening cheer rang through the air from one section of the spectators, while the Yugakure section groaned in disappointment.

Amidst the noise, Sakura watched as the dusty and bloodied Ryo resheathed his katana to extend a hand to Akari, helping her to her feet. Their lips moved but the words were too soft for anyone to hear. Whatever it was, it succeeded in getting a reluctant smile out of Akari. It was quite obvious that the crowd of spectators had seen the same thing, for suddenly, a series of wolf-whistles pierced through the air.

Once again, an impressively loud voice made itself heard over the commotion, "Hey, are we going to see a kiss?"

Ryo only glared at the younger boy before he turned away to walk to the main platform.

"Minato can't wait to become jounin."

Sakura grinned as she turned to face Naruto. "When that happens, I suppose he wants to enter this tournament as well?"

Naruto laughed, something that he did more and more often nowadays. "He can't wait to catch up with Ryo. From what I heard, he's attempting the next jounin exams so that he can join next year." His brows furrowed suddenly, and then he continued, "Though I can't say I'd like to see Minato and Ryo going head to head in this sort of thing."

"I'm sure it will be okay," Sakura assured. "It's not as if either of them will be out to kill each other. Look at Ryo and Akari. Both made it to the end fairly intact. Besides, it's a friendly competition."

"Heh, I guess." Her blond friend shifted his attention to Gaara then, grinning widely. Smacking the Kazekage heartily on his back, Naruto declared, "So it's Suna's victory this year."

"It seems so," Gaara responded mildly.

"Congratulations, Kazekage-sama," Hanako, the leader of Yugakure said with a pleasant smile. "Your jounin has done well."

Graciously accepting, Gaara inclined his head. "As did yours. Akari battled skillfully." And then, with a sidelong glance at Kakashi, he commented, "It's good that for once, Konoha is not the winner."

The Copy-Nin chuckled. "That's only because you enticed our shinobi away from us. Ryo could have been Konoha's representative this year if not for the transfer."

Sakura winced at that, but they were interrupted by a Suna chuunin.

"Kazekage-sama. It is time for the presentation. If you could move to the center of the stage?"

With a nod, Gaara moved away.

Only then did Sakura poke Kakashi in the arm. "Ne, Kakashi, that's not how it happened, and you know it. Gaara didn't do anything to make us move here. Keep talking like that and someone might believe it one day."

Shiraishi joined them, clearly having caught the thread of the conversation. "Theoretically, Yugakure could lay claim to the boy as well," he pointed out calmly.

"Hey, Ryo is not some object to be tossed about between the villages," she protested indignantly.

"Sakura is right," Hanako said, giving Shiraishi a meaningful look. "Don't you think it is time you stop riling her over this?"

Shiraishi scowled. "Fine. But the boy still has some Shinju blood in him."

"And Uchiha blood as well," Kakashi interjected, tapping his chin. "Does that mean I should reclaim him? He's part of one of Konoha's founding clans."

Sakura groaned. "Kakashi…"

To her disgust, Kakashi ruffled her head, much like he had done when she was twelve. The corner of his visible eye creased as he said, "Stop worrying, Sakura-chan. I was just teasing. We all know that with the truth out, things were a little awkward for Ryo. The relocation is a good move."

She felt a reassuring grip on her shoulder then, and turned around to find Itachi nodding at her. Although he had not contributed to the exchange, he had heard everything and in his own way, was trying to tell her that it was alright. His quiet support was nothing new, and for that she was grateful. He was always like a steady rock in the face of any form of conflict, even when things threatened to turn his world upside down. Even when the revelation of the truth made things unpleasant for him, Itachi simply carried on with his own concerns, not allowing anything to faze him.

Kakashi could have kept quiet about the entire Uchiha situation, but Naruto, who was by then accepted widely as the primary candidate for the next Hokage, had felt that people should know the truth. That Itachi should not carry the whole weight of the responsibility on his shoulders, and that the Konoha administration at that time had played a part in it. So, shortly after Ryo's chuunin exams, they had broken the truth to Konoha. The outcome had not been comfortable, even though some had suspected that things with the Uchiha massacre were not as they appeared outwardly. With the disclosure, some felt disillusioned by the administration, though Naruto had pointed out that the orders came from the Council, which no longer existed, so a similar situation would hopefully be avoided. Others felt gratitude that Itachi pretty much single-handedly prevented the arrival of another ninja war. However, there were also those who felt that regardless of the reason, one should not slaughter one's own flesh and blood in such a brutal way. The reactions were mixed, but one thing that was evident was the way Itachi and Ryo were suddenly in the center of attention.

It was highly uncomfortable, to say the least.

While Itachi had simply ignored the attention, Ryo had not taken it too well. Talented chuunin or not, Ryo had only been eight at that time, and was sensitive to all the attention. It had gotten bad enough that he was uncomfortable training in the public grounds in broad daylight, and had begun to disappear more and more often on longer external missions, something which Sakura had felt was getting a little out of hand. Itachi had agreed with her that they had to take steps to control the situation.

It had taken many discussions between them and with their friends, but finally it was decided that it was best for them to go somewhere where Uchiha was not such a prominent name. And with Ryo's background, the best place was Suna.

Despite the fact that he had said that he would be happy to be with his mother wherever she was, once they were back in Suna, it was clear to everyone that Ryo was happier than he had been in Konoha. He had spent most of his life in the desert village, after all, and all his friends were there. Konoha had always been just a place he visited, albeit in long stretches.

Gaara was ecstatic, in his own understated way, of course. She knew that he had been annoyed with her ever since she had decided to bring Ryo back to Konoha to live with her and Itachi. Therefore, when she and Itachi had spoken to him about the new plan, it had taken no time at all for Gaara to discuss terms of the transfer with Kakashi. Most of the terms were standard confidentiality clauses but Kakashi had also stipulated that any skills such as her medical knowledge had to be passed on to medics in Konoha and that the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai was not to be used in any form directly or indirectly against Konoha. To balance things further, Gaara had offered the transfer of two of his skilled shinobi in exchange. It was an offer which Kakashi had accepted with an enthusiastic eye-crinkle since one of those shinobi was also the author of a new series of novels the Hokage had embraced almost as heartily as he had the Icha-Icha series.

The agreement meant that over the past few years she was in Konoha pretty regularly to supervise and train the medics. Although it was tiring, flitting back and forth between the two villages, she was glad that she was still in touch with her friends. Her friends also tended to visit often, which made her feel as if she was the luckiest person alive since they were still close despite the fact that she was now living in Suna with her family.

She smiled as she thought of their house, a house which Kankurou had helped build with his puppets. It was only a single storey domed building, but the rooms were generously proportioned to give it an airy feel. There were more than enough rooms for the three of them and the occasional guests. Itachi had quietly requested a small training area at the back of the house, a request which Kankurou had gladly accommodated. Because even though Itachi had given up active shinobi duty, he still wished to keep his skills sharp and play a part in Ryo's training, not that the boy would allow otherwise.

She still remembered the conversation they had over his retirement. It had taken place right after they had been informed of Kakashi's stipulation that Itachi was not to use the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai in any form against Konoha. Itachi had calmly, but firmly told the Kazekage and the Hokage that with all due respect, he wished to retire from active shinobi duty. She had gaped at him then, unable to believe that he wanted to do such a thing especially considering his skills. Still, she had held her tongue until they had reached home, at which time Itachi had explained to her that he was weary of the battles and would like to avoid them unless truly necessary, such as during an emergency.

"You are distracted," a quiet voice said in her ear.

She turned to find Itachi eyeing her questioningly. And only then did she notice that they were the only two left standing. As she had lost herself in memories, the rest had returned to their seats further back on the platform to view the presentation.

"Sakura?" he prompted.

With a small smile, she assured him, "It's nothing. Just thinking about how we came to be here in Suna."

"Aa." He turned away from her to watch the two contestants approach the platform, amidst applause from the spectators. "It has turned out quite well."

"You think so?" she mused, joining in with the clapping now.

He inclined his head in Ryo's direction. "He is happy." His eyes met hers again as he added, "And that is most important."

"It is, isn't it," she agreed. Grinning, she clapped harder. "He must be even happier that he won, especially since this is his first year competing. Come, let's get closer to Gaara."

Sakura stopped a couple of steps behind the Kazekage just as Ryo and Akari reached the center of the platform, where a raised stage had been set up. It was easy to see that her son's smile was threatening to split his face. In contrast, Akari looked positively disgruntled by her failure to win this year. Sakura shook her head at their antics, knowing that the two of them would always be in competition no matter what, even more so because they were distant cousins. And if Minato truly joined in next year, the competition would be even more heated.

The applause died down as Gaara raised his hand for silence. As the host of the event this year, he stepped forward to announce the victor formally, as well as present Ryo with an engraved, gleaming kunai.

"Congratulations. You bring honor to Suna."

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama," Ryo said with a respectful bow.

In a quieter voice that could only be heard by Ryo, and herself since she was standing so close by, Gaara said, "Ensure that you win again next year. It would not do to lose to Konoha or Yugakure."

Sakura rolled her eyes as Ryo brightened visibly with a new level of determination to crush his opponents.

Then, turning to the crowd, Gaara proclaimed, "This marks the end of this year's tournament. Refreshments will be provided shortly, and I hope you will enjoy Suna's fare. On behalf of all the village leaders, I thank you for attending and we hope to see you next year at Yugakure."

Cheers rang out in the air as large tents, food and drinks were brought out to the middle of the battle arena and the food and drinks were served. Sakura and Itachi hung back a little while the crowd converged towards the tents, parched and hungry from the day's activities.

Reaching up, she swiped the back of her hand across her damp forehead. "So hot!" she exclaimed.

Beside her, Itachi murmured, "Surely you don't expect any differently."

She gave him an irritated, sidelong glance, not missing the fact that he looked as cool as a cucumber despite his long hair. "I don't see you sweating. As usual."

"Hm… Excitement tends to make some people perspire."

She rolled her eyes at his bland remark and chose not to comment. She never won their verbal spars, anyway, so why get even more worked up? Turning away, she caught her son's eye and waved him over.

When he reached them, she drew him into a tight hug, not failing to notice that he was already as tall as she was. "Well done, Ryo-chan!"

Pulling back, he made a face at her. "Ne, 'Kaa-san, don't call me that in public."

"Oh, too big for such things now, are we?"

"You did well," Itachi told him, his eyes shining with unmistakable pride.

Ryo chuckled a little sheepishly. "Can't let Akari win now, can I? She would be unbearable!"

Sakura teased lightly, "What's with you and Akari? Always fighting over this or that."

"She's annoying."

At one time, that phrase would have sent her blood pressure rocketing if it had been directed at her. But that was a long time ago. Now, she only shook her head at her son, giving him a chastising look.

"Don't say such things."

Ryo had the grace to look abashed.

Chuckling, Sakura linked her arms with her son and Itachi, happy to have both of her favorite men with her. Her teenage son protested mildly at the undignified arm-linkage, but she simply ignored him as she dragged them both towards the tents. It came as no surprise when Ryo immediately pulled away the moment they reached the tents, quickly disappearing into the crowd without even a goodbye, no doubt to join up with his friends. Not that this was something new. Sometimes Ryo seem to appear as if he preferred to be with his friends rather than his parents.

"Well, that makes me feel wanted," she grumbled under her breath as her steps slowed to a complete halt.

"His behavior is fairly typical of a teenager."

"I know. You're right." Sighing morosely, she added, "I don't want him to cling, but I kind of miss the time we used to spend together. He's growing up so fast."

A finger on her chin nudged her to face her dark-haired partner. His expression was tender as he smiled at her, sending a glowing warmth spreading through her. Even after so many years and so many obstacles, their attraction for each other was still strong. His fingers threaded through hers as he leaned closer, clearly seeking some privacy.

And then, in a quiet, mildly amused tone, he asked, "Do you wish for another child to spoil?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and then she sputtered, "W-what?"

"I'm merely enquiring if you wished for another child."

With that, he straightened away from her and proceeded to continue walking to the tent as if he had not just dropped this gigantic bombshell on her. She was stunned. Her feet seemed glued to the hot sandy ground as she blinked in stupefaction at him, his words playing over and over again through her mind.

Was he serious?

It was not as if the thought had not occurred to her in the past. Of course it had, but the topic simply never came up for discussion. Whilst it was taken for granted that they would remain together, they had not really sat down to go over the specifics of their future bar the location of their main residence. She supposed that was not surprising considering how they had been conditioned from their youth. The uncertainty of their lives due to the volatile nature of their profession made it difficult to plan much ahead of time. Not that their lives were very volatile nowadays. With the relative peace surrounding the shinobi nations and the fact that Itachi was no longer an active shinobi, things were quite stable in their lives.

By the time she managed to get her feet to move, Itachi had disappeared into the tent. Determined not to let him rattle her and get away with it, she rushed into the tent with her senses on full alert.

A blast of cool air hit her face, courtesy of the portable air conditioning someone had installed in the tents. The melodic strains of traditional Suna music threaded through the air, the subtle background music adding to the exotic atmosphere. As attuned as she was to Itachi's chakra signature, it took her no time at all to lock in on his location in the crowd. At the far end of the brightly decorated tent, he was standing next to Kankurou and there was a bottle of something in his hand.

She immediately made a beeline towards him, and then grasped his arm to urge him to face her. But when he did, the expression on his face stilled whatever she had wanted to say. It was not as if he had not looked at her that way before, but never so intensely, and never when they were surrounded by so many people. She could almost feel everyone around them fade away, leaving only the two of them to stare at each other.

So, instead of saying whatever she had intended to say, she breathed out shakily, "I… I love you."

His eyes flashed red briefly, and in the next breath, she found herself enveloped in his strong arms, her face pressed to his chest. She could hear the steady beats within, and somehow, it soothed her.

His words were warm against her ear when he murmured, "And I love you too."

It was stupid, because suddenly, her eyes stung with tears. She was behaving like an idiotic hormonal woman instead of a sensible one. It was not as if she and Itachi had not been living together sharing their lives all these years. And it was not as if they had not said those words to each other before, actually it had happened plenty of times. But somehow, this time, it was different.

It was almost as if the declaration together with that little question he had asked earlier he had opened another door to their future. Yeah, it was a silly thing to get emotional about, but she simply could not help it.

"About what you asked earlier?" she murmured, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Hm?"

"Yes."

"Aa."

She grinned against his chest, blinking back the dampness in her eyes.

"Oi! Get a room!"

The familiar voice jolted her out of her warm cocoon and Sakura jerked back from Itachi to glare at her grinning blond friend. It was only then that she realized that they had gained a small audience, which included their very embarrassed son, who was trying extremely hard to look anywhere but at his parents. Her cheeks immediately reddened in mortification.

"You two are behaving like teenagers!" Naruto added, clearly undaunted by her expression. "All the public displays of affection… there are kids in here, you know?"

Annoyance immediately chased off her embarrassment. "Naruto…" she ground out threateningly, cracking her knuckles as she started towards him.

Finally realizing that he was about to be pounded within an inch of his life, Naruto's grin died and he backed away apprehensively. But before she could really give chase, she felt Itachi's restraining hand on her shoulder.

"It'd be unseemly for the future Hokage to walk around with an imprint of your fist on his face."

She blinked, and then the irritation drained out of her at the mental picture of Itachi's words. Her lips twitched, and then she chuckled. "Right, I get it."

From some safe distance away, Naruto waved at her. "You know I was just joking, right, Sakura-chan?"

She rolled her eyes at him, and then followed it with a smile to let her friend know that it was alright. Relief flashed across Naruto's face at the realization that he was safe from her wrath, and the sight almost made her laugh out loud. Really, his reaction was ridiculous because Naruto was so much more skilled than her that he could probably flatten her in mere seconds. Naruto was easily the strongest shinobi in Konoha now.

"Are you hungry?" Itachi suddenly asked.

She glanced around the room, noting the delicious food and drinks, but none appealed to her. "Actually, no."

"Then perhaps we should leave."

Her breath caught in her throat as she took in his unmistakable expression. It held equal portions of desire, possessiveness and affection, and as always, she found herself unable to resist the pull.

"Come, let's go," she urged in an embarrassingly husky voice.

She was about to drag him out of the tent with her when she faltered.

"Wait! What about Ryo?" she asked.

Amusement gleamed in Itachi's dark eyes as he replied, "I'm certain Ryo would prefer if we make ourselves scarce, in light of the commotion earlier. Besides, we require some privacy for what I have in mind."

And with that remark, he nudged her towards the opening of the tent. Needing no further encouragement, she went willingly, her hand now clasped in his larger one.

As they walked out into the sunlight, heading towards the dome-shaped home they shared, Sakura could not help but think back to the past once again.

What were the chances of them getting together in the first place? A trusted Konoha medic and an S-ranked missing nin? Against all odds, their lives had intertwined so far away from Fire Country as they fell for each other. Then things had gone all wrong, and they had separated, but even then, she always had a part of him with her in the form of Ryo. In all those years they were apart, she had never forgotten him, despite her conviction that she despised him.

She was so fortunate that fate had somehow saw fit to throw Itachi back in her life. It was difficult now to even remember just how angry she had been with him for his deception all those years ago and how she had feared his reaction to the discovery of a son. She could not help but cringe at the way she had treated him when he had just returned to Konoha. Itachi was not the bad person she had somehow convinced herself he was, despite the massacre. Itachi only did what he had to do, what he thought he had to do. In fact, he was one of the most caring people she had known.

And as if he had read her mind, Sakura felt Itachi's fingers tightening around hers. Squeezing back, she then released his hand to slide her arm around his waist. He reciprocated by wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her tight to his side as they both walked home.

There were no guarantees in life, but no matter what had happened in the past, she knew that as long as they were able, they would remain together now and in the future.

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The End.

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A/N: Thank you all so much for following this story. I hope you've enjoyed it, and if you can, please leave a review!

_elle6778_


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